The Legend of Zelda: The Mist of Beginnings
by cutecutie331
Summary: When Adelyn finds herself trapped in the Video Game Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess by a mysterious swirling mist, She can't help but to get stuck in the middle of a centuries brewing war. We'll she ever make it home? Who is she really and why does Hyrule feel strangely familiar?
1. Chapter 1 ADELYN

The early morning fog loomed as far as I could see, it was almost tangible, shrouding everything in a thick white veil, the light barely managing to penetrate the haze. The sounds of birdsong and motors that should have been filling the air around me all seemed to have disappeared, even my footsteps had been swallowed by the greedy beast.

I pulled my brown winter jacket closer to my body, hoping to gain some sense of warmth that morning. It was to no avail, the fog seemed to be leaching the heat right from my bones, pulling it to become stronger. It was July but felt like December, which didn't make sense because I lived in upper Michigan. I blamed global warming.

The laughing wind crept up to me, following me while as I walked, hissing at the warmth of my body. The cold readied to strike at me with its poisonous venom. My heart was pumping slower due to the icy frost burning my body. Freaking global warming. I trudged along the pavement at a sedate pace, my mind focused on quickly getting to my school for an early archery practice.

If it wasn't mandatory for all students to be in a club I probably wouldn't have been in one. Archery, at the time, seemed like a safe and fun option for me to choose. Of course, I was wrong. My coach, a wiry and awkward man of 35 was a drill Sargent, whose only enjoyment seemed to come from torturing the High-Schoolers. Hence why I had to walk to school at five in the morning to get to an early practice.

I had just gotten to the school and was heading around the corner of the building when I ran into Rose, my best friend. "Jesus, you startled me. Don't do that to me." Rose's face suddenly beamed with happiness, her face contorting into places I didn't know a face could make.

She said, almost screaming, "ADDIE! ARE YOU READY FOR A BRIGHT HAPPY AND WONDERFUL DAY? TODAY IS—"

"Rose…Shut up."

"Sorry— I have a lot of energy today."

I raised an eyebrow. "I couldn't tell." For a moment Rose looked pinched and narrowed. Then it went away just as quickly as it came and grew into a huge smile. "WOW- I always forget your not a morning person."

"I really hate mornings." Rose laughed, grabbing my arm, she led me to the archery range right behind the school were already a small group of classmates had conversed.

My friends Scott, Katie, and Eddie stood in a small circle in the Dojo conversing, their voices pentrating through the chipper of birds. Scott was flapping his arms in every which way, up then down, while screaming something about some new video game he couldn't wait to get his hands on.

"You just Don't understand! The game is a flipping masterpiece…PICASSO COULD HAVE MADE IT!" He was sputtering now, not really making sense to a girl who had never played video games in her life. " –It's beautiful."

"We get it Scott" Katie said, her voice sounding almost bored and slurred. "It's the best game you've ever played. This is the fifth time you have told us that in the past ten minutes."

"You just don't understand Katie." He put emphasis on Katie as if it was some kind of insult. "IT'S-B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L."

I couldn't take listening to it any longer. "Hey, guys!" I said, stepping into the little circle "Are you ready to shoot some things?" Rose and Katie grinned from ear to ear, holdimg their mouths.

I made my way towards the shelf of bows. In the corner was a cabinet that smelled like a recently carved rocking chair someone might buy at cracker barrel. Bows made of wood and plastic and metal and materials I can't even name. Arrows with feathers cut in flawless uniform lines. I chose a bow, strung it, and slung the matching quiver of arrows over my shoulder.

Walking a few feet over towards the range, I stood in front of the target and never let my eyes leave it. I reached back to grab an arrow from my quiver, taking note of everything that could interfere with the release of the arrow; The wind and so forth. As I nocked the arrow, it's flight path was already forming in my head: between the branches of trees in the way and right into the center of the target. I pulled the string back, all the way past my ear, letting the tension build in the arrow before it flew. I raised the arrow to meet its flight path, and released. The string snapped forward with the force of twenty punches and hit dead center. Easy.

I did the same with my next arrow, breathing out as the arrow released and hit the target to the right of the one I already hit. I did the same with my next arrow to the target on my left.

My next arrow was aimed at a target that was hidden in a tree behind the range. I released it. It went flying through the air, breaking branches in a loud crack before it hit the target above.

The next two arrows I notched at the same time. I wanted to try something new. Mostly, because I wanted to feel like Robin Hood and feel cooler than I was. I held the bow even, a perfect, undaunted horizon; always leveled with the nose, just as I had been taught. They made their mark: perfect and even.

"Damn-" I heard Eddie say from behind me. A chorus of agreement rang out from my other friends.

"Damn Indeed." Another voice said. It was Mr. Moyer who seemed to appear from nowhere. " You've gotten better Adelyn."

I shrugged, not exactly comfortable with all of the attention. "I guess practice makes perfect?

"Yeah?" He asked, a smile creeping up on his face. "And why do you feel the need to be perfect?"

"Exactly, How long have you been practicing?' Katie cut in, her eyebrow raised incredulously.

"…A lot…"

"Well, that clears things up." She muttered, loud enough so that I could hear.

"THAT WAS FLIPPING AWESOME. YOU WERE LIKE- AND IT WAS-O MY GOD-LIKE WOW. IT WAS LIKE YOU WERE A CHARACTER IN MY VIDEO GAME!" Scott practically screamed, again flailing his arms around over his head. That kid, I had decided then, had some serious issues.

For the next few hours, we made turns shooting in succession until It was finally time for school to start. I internally groaned, realizing I had forgotten to do my homework because I fell asleep while reading…Again. It was something that I did on quite a regular basis. I was about to leave the range when Mr. Moyer approached me.

"Addie," he said, pulling me aside. "Do you mind if I talk to you before your classes start."

"Not at all." I told him.

"I've been hearing from some of your teachers that for the past few weeks your grades have been dramatically dropping. Can you tell me why that is, Addie? You've never been someone to not due their work in the past. Can you help me understand?" His voice was almost pleading.

I sighed. I had a feeling that this conversation was coming. It was no secret that in the past I had a 4.0 grade average but lately my A's slowly began to slip into B's then C's. "My parents, their getting a divorce." I frowned, looking down at the earth below me. "It's been tough. I know it's not an excuse but I'll pull myself together, I can promise you that."

"I know you can do it Addie." He smiled at me, uncharacteristically. He was never one to smile before. "Something tells me your gonna have a great year."

"What makes you think that, Mr. Moyer?" I asked, my brow raising. I began to fidget in my place.

"Oh, I just know. I can see those kind of things, the happiness that is, and the sadness." He took off the mended glasses that he had perched on his head. "You see Addie, You can't have one without the other. That's what makes life worth living. When you reach a point in your life when you have something so great that it causes you so much sadness to leave it all behind, that's when you will find that you have truly lived. What is a life without suffering? It makes you cherish your happiness all the more."

"I'm not sure I understand sir." I said, shaking my head. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"No, you wouldn't understand, would you?" He stopped, looking up into the distance. "Not yet, anyways... You...You have so much more to discover Addie, Don't take any of it for granted."

"I guess I'll try not to sir." I said frowning. This seemed to be coming from nowhere. I had never seen him as the caring teacher before. He always seemed to be aloof and strange, but he never had given me pep talks in the past before.

"Don't try Addie, Live."

"Right." I said, emphasizing right. "I gotta go."

"Of course..." He started to turn around but faced me again. "Oh…Addie?"

"What Mr. Moyer?" I asked confused to hear what else he might say."

He smiled. "One more thing. Be careful of the fog. We can't go and lose you too... Also, don't forget I expect you to have your homework done and on my desk by the time class starts tomorrow.

"I won't forget, Mr. Moyer." I turned around and headed back to school. That was a conversation I wasn't likely to forget anytime soon.

Inside, the school was lively. The halls were crowded with people, and the chaos filled with chaos, like a movie. There was a couple that making out on the left side of the hall, and about ten feet further down, a group of girls were huddled in front of an open locker doing their makeup in the small mirror. Opposite them, a group of Axe smelling boys, and between them, the parade of geeks who looked like they had seen better days.

The bell went off and I made my way down the tiled hallway to my first-period class Pre-Calc. I took a seat next to Katie. Finally our teacher, Mrs. Minnier walked in. She had a hawkish air about her. Even her nose was curved and beaky. She had eyes of dark brown that fixed you in ice should you dare disagree or talk out of turn. She was willow-wand thin, so stick-like that it was hard to imagine her eating much at all, at least not without wiping her narrow lips after every bite. Her hair wasn't so much blonde as a washed out brown like it just couldn't be bothered to be anything at all Like many women of her age she had it cut short to hide its lack of volume. A century ago, she would have been brutal with the cane.

The teacher had the look of one who had woken up one spring morning to find that their youth had passed by before they had had any fun. She gazed at the class as if their faces had become a sea, a moving mass of nothing she could focus on or care about. The lesson poured out from her in the same emotionless pattern it had for the past fifteen years, she even breathed in the same places. The smart suits she had diligently worn as a new graduate and given way to elastic waist-banded pants and long flowing tops. Her face knew how to perform all the right gestures, but the passion behind them had long since abandoned her. She still handed out homework, but didn't care if the kids did it or not. More coming back to her meant more marking, that meant less time she would be able to spend with her motorcycle boyfriend who was in desperate need of a haircut and deodorant.

It was this teacher who made me think that classrooms were a place that should be feared. She seemed, for unknown reasons, to detest me with every fiber of her being. She would always give me detentions for stupid things, like forgetting a pencil or wearing a color of a shirt she didn't like.

Today, I had prayed would be a good day. But, It seemed some unknown power that really hated me had other ideas. She smiled wickedly and marched towards my desk as if I were her prey. For all I knew, she was some kind of evil monster who wanted nothing but to eat me for lunch. It definitely seemed that way.

She finally stopped in front of my desk and I slowly started to hit my head against it in frustration. "How can I help, Mrs. Minnier?"

"I was very displeased to see you didn't show up to detention last night. Very upset. …Very. I think a week of detention should make up for that. Don't you think? Hmm? Yes?"

Shit… I had forgotten about that. But, In my defense, the detention was because I was chewing on a pencil while thinking. Go ahead. Shoot me. I'm a menace to pencils and their families everywhere.

She made her way back to the front of the classroom her head held high, gloating, all the while smirking that thin mouth of hers. She started talking about current events, which I was pretty sure had nothing to do with Pre-Calc but I guess she could do what she wanted. At the least I was actually learning something.

A perky girl in the front row who was always a kiss-up in platform heels, I think her name was Taylor, raised her hand.

"Yes?" The teacher purred, rolling her eyes.

"Can you tell us anything about the fog, and like If we can stop it by like saving the planet…or something?" I was suddenly very interested. As was the rest of the class who were suddenly wide awake, leaning in to hear the teacher's reply.

She sighed and put the glasses that rested on her head on her uniform desk. " There is not much I can tell, Besides what you already know. But, what I can tell you is to be careful, Yes? If you get caught in it without a coat you could freeze to death. Several people have already died, but I don't need to tell you that." Her eyes moved to the empty desk in the middle of the room.

The desk once belonged to Diamond Richards. She was girl with so much energy you couldn't help but to smile. She had a little brother only a few years younger than herself that she had become a mother to since her parents were deadbeats. She froze to death last week. Her brother cried, her parents only asked about the money. Death wasn't kind. I knew that. It snatched where it could, taking people who were far too young, far too good. It didn't pretend to care, it didn't pretend to distinguish. It didn't hesitate to take even the smallest and innocent of people.

A silence overcame the classroom. Silence gnawed at my twisted insides. Silence hung in the air like the suspended moment before a falling glass shatters on the ground. It was quiet, like a gaping void, needing to be filled with sounds, words, anything. It was poisonous in it's sheer nothingness, cruelly underscoring how vapid their conversation had become. The silence was eerily unnatural, like a dawn devoid of birdsong and classroom with an empty desk.

"As for saving the planet," The teacher continued. "Perhaps you should stop drinking five cups of Starbucks a day. It's a wonder what those cups can do to sea turtles."

My next class was Humanities, a class that I actually loved. It was taught by an energetic, wispy women, who was eight months pregnant and looked like the baby might pop out at any moment. She was a kind woman who never liked too her raise her voice. Although this never made her a pushover, she was scary when she was angry. She would have us do giant art projects like making an aqueduct or a Canopic jar.

The class ended uneventful, as did the rest of the day. I, of course, chose to forget that I had detention after school. In actuality, No energy in the world prepare me for two hours with that teacher.

The cafeteria at lunch was a cacophony of loud chatter, each table a cosseted huddle of people raising their voices to be heard above the din. The food was secondary to the information that was exchanged there. Over the over-salted fries alliances formed and gossip traded like silly bans. The cafeteria was really the school gym. A hatch connecting it to the kitchen was opened and the smell of chips and baked beans came wafting in. We lined up across the back-wall with brown Formica trays in our hands, kicking the wall with our toes, or leaning on it as we shuffled along, unenthusiastic for the food. Todays special: mush…Yay.

I sat next to Scott, Katie, Eddie, and another girl named Carmen. Scott was again enthusiastic as ever talking about some new video game, The Legend of Zelda or whatever. Katie was desperately trying to tune him out with her I-pod. Eddie, you may ask. Well, he was content with throwing fries at unsuspecting freshman who didn't have the courage to stand up to him. I sometimes couldn't believe I was friends with them. But then I realized, that no one could ever compare to them.

Eddie decided to take a break from pelting kids and started talking seriously, his eyes drooped down ward to were his hands were fidgeting mercilessly. "They say if the weather keeps dropping Michigan might be as cold as Antartica... and the fog- it gets thicker every day." Not one of us could help looking at the empty table in the corner where Diamond and her friend group used to sit. Her friends had since moved to different tables, not wanting to look at the vacant chair that was a constant reminder of her death.

Our whole table suddenly got extremely quiet until Eddie broke the silence. "…It's probably global warming." He whispered. We all suddenly broke into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

The laughter died down and was left with hushed melancholy. We ate the rest of our lunches in quiet. Every once in a while someone, usually Eddie or Scott, tried to break the silence with a lame joke. They would pat themselves on their back and then carry on eating their lunches in the quiet.

The day finally ended. I walked home like I did every day. This day something made me increasingly on edge. The fog around me kept shifting in dense, smoky swirls. I could hardly see through it anymore, it was so dense.

The Mist was so thick, Milky and heavy, making it impossible to see past my fingers spread out in front of me. If only I Had a flashlight to shine through the fog, but, alas I didn't. I walked a few more steps in front of me, feet clanking against the concrete below me, carful not to run into anything that might make me fall, and that was when I heard them.

They were whispering, disembodied voices, emanating from all around me, calling my name in slurs. It was like they were the cries of the dead reaching out their pale hands to greet a loved one they yearned to see again. Whether they were calling out to me in good spirit or not it didn't seem to matter. Instead, it made my blood run cold, hairs standing up on my arms as the arctic mist billowed by me. If Dementors from Harry Potter actually existed, this is what I assumed them taking my soul would feel like, sinister, depressed, and dangerous. My mind was starting to fail, like an engine that turns over and over, never kicking into action. I couldn't formulate a thought. There was no way out of the fog, but I knew I had to get out.

Then one voice rang above the rest.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

My heart screamed, wanting to escape my chest. A child's voice I realized, maybe a nine, ten year old boy, screaming a name for help.

"LINK!"

Then next thing I knew I felt like I was being pushed from side to side. Hands, that I couldn't see grabbed me from every way. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out. Instead, I fell to my knees on wet and crunchy grass beneath me. Maybe, I had walked further than I thought. I could have sworn I was just walking on concrete. I felt something, like tendrils caressing my neck. A hand, maybe?

Thump,

Thump,

Thump went my heart.

As quickly as it came the silence ended. I waited for a few seconds in anticipation. The fog was still there and I knew it wasn't over yet. Then, chillingly, there was a voice right by my ear as clear and concise as day. "The mist is just the beginning."

The world exploded. The mist blew around like a tornado taking more voices with it, pushing me closer to the ground. Next, light erupted, a supernova of colors whipping past me. A velvety black frames my Vision. "Keep your eyes open" I told myself, trying to push up from the ground. A second later, I fell back down and darkness enveloped me


	2. Chapter 2 RUSL

There's a moment before you wake up when you can hear what is around you and your vaguely conscious of your surroundings. I knew I wasn't where I was supposed to be even before I woke up. First of all, It was warm, much warmer than the cold chill of Michigan that I was just at moments before. I could feel the pulsing heat of the sun radiating down on my face.

I slowly opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was the trees high above me, light fractures shining through the dense canopy. The ground beneath me was covered with leaves, bugs and broken branches, digging into my back. I stood up slowly, clutching my head. I was dizzy and almost fell back down, but I held onto a tree right next to me for support.

The forest around me was ancient. The trees, thick and old, roots were twisted. It might once have been filled with bird-song and animals that roamed. But now it was ages past its former glory. It's canopy was so dense that you could only see the occasional streak of sunlight that rarely touched the forest floor. The smell of wild flowers and wildlife filled my senses. It was more fierce and fragrant than any of the forests near my house. There were flowers I couldn't recognize and trees I was positive didn't exist, but there they were before my very eyes.

"Can I help ya', Miss?" A voice said from behind me, shaking me out of my reverie.

I turned around. Behind me was a man. He towered above me, he was at least a head taller than myself. His eyes sparkled, but his brows furrowed. I wasn't sure how but, he looked both young and old at the same time. His Dark green eyes focused on me, eying me.

I almost couldn't speak, too surprised to see that someone else was there in the dense forest. I squeaked out, "I..Where am I?"

The man, who had relaxed his shoulders a little smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Your in Ordon Province Miss, but how come ya' don't know where ya' are?"

I had never heard of Ordon Province in my life. Heck, I wasn't not sure Ordon existed, not in Michigan anyways. But, if it wasn't in Michigan then how the hell had I gotten there? I was just in the city, but was now suddenly in the forest. Nothing made sense.

"Ordon?..Where is Ordon?" I paused "...Its not in Michigan, is it?"

His expression was mystified, his forehead crinkled, and eyebrows contracted. "Michigan?" I've never heard of Michigan. I've been everywhere in Hyrule-" He stopped, eyes looking off in thought "-but, I've never heard of Michigan."

"Hyrule?" I was sure that I had heard of Hyrule before, absolutly positive. Wasn't Hyrule that kingdom that Scott would always go on about? The kingdom from his video game? There's no possible way. The Legend of Zelda was just some video game. There was no humanly possible way that I could be in it, right?

"Yes Hyrule..."

I started staring at the ground. This ground, these leaves, wasn't the ground I knew and grew to love. This ground threatened to pull me into the ground, drowning me for all eternity. It stood as a reminder that I wasn't home, this was alien. Maybe I was the alien.

I couldn't breath. I stood rigid, paralysed with the unknown. But I wouldn't let it be seen. With all my will I prevented myself from gasping. Only through my parted lips did I draw tiny gasps, controlled, nothing revealed to the man.

"Are you okay Miss?"

"I don't know-" my breaths came ragged. It had to be impossible. It had to be. It had to be. " I...I wasn't here five minutes ago. I was walking home!..I..I"

The man came closer to me, his calloused hands reached out "Calm down. Tell me what happened slowly."

I breathed in and out. Someone once told me of a breathing exercise to be calm that they said would calm anything at the moment. In and out. In and out. Repeat. "I was just walking home and I think something attacked me." Somthing had attacked me, right? Or, was it just the fog. "The fog?" I asked out loud. "And now-now I'm here-"

It had to have been the fog. It was unnatural and those voices weren't natural. I had never believed in magic before, but It seemed like that was the only explanation. It wasn't logical, I knew that, but those voices and the fog couldn't have been anything else.

"Why dont ya' let me take ya' to Ordon village. It's not too far away." I wasn't paying attention to him. Instead, I was staring right over his shoulder.

"We can get things sorted there. Sound alright?-" His hand was on my shoulder, trying to get me to pay attention. I took a second, then slowly nodded my head. He smiled reassuringly towards me. "Okay then. Follow me."

"Miss, Can ya' tell me your name?"

"I'm Adelyn."

"Well, Adelyn it's nice to meet you. I'm Rusl."

We walked in silence for a few minutes, they felt like the longest minutes of my life. Eventually, I couldn't take it. My hands began to wring themselves with anticipation and nervousness. It was a habit I did whenever I couldn't concentrate.

"What's Ordon like?"

"Well, its quite a peaceful place. Nothin' important usually happens. That is... until recently... BUT, I think you'll like it as long as you ain't got nothin against pumpkins."

"Pumkins and I, we go a long way back." I said, a smile stretching on my face.

"Well, thats good! I would hate for you to detest our little home just because of some pumpkins."

Rusl was right. It was a good thing I didn't hate pumpkins. If so, I would have been greatly troubled with the area around me. It was a quaint little community. Pumpkins grew openly next to houses, filling the air with its smell of sweetness whenever the wind blew. Birds I had never seen before flew overhead, wings spread against the horizon.

"This is Ordon."

I couldn't help but to stare. It was like I stepped into a story book. The homes were carved from the trees, vines and flowers growing in the homes, and small animals racing up the sides to burrow. But something still seemed off. "Its beautiful." I said

Rusl laughed, his smile wide and toothy. "Beautiful, aye? Never heard that before."

That's when I noticed it. The village was empty. You couldn't hear any laughter of children or see any parents working on their gardens. It was silent.

"Where is everyone?" Rusl's smile went away, a shadow showering over his face.

"Inside."

A line formed between my eyebrows, eyes squinting. "Why?"

His shoulders shrugged "Too afraid to come out, I guess. Not sure I blame 'em."

"Too afraid? What happened?" I pressed him.

He exhaled a large breath, brushing his hand through his hair. "Something terrible." His gazed clouded, going distant, until he continued. "Six weeks ago all of our children were kidnapped by Bulbins." He stopped, looking at me. "My son, Colin, was taken with everyone too...It's- It's been hard...Not longer after that we had monsters entering the village. Some wolf kept comin here. Scared everyone half to death."

"I see - and you've heard nothing then?"

He scowled "Not a damn thing."

"I'm so sorry." I almost whispered

"Don't be. Not your fault." A silence overcame them. The sound of crickets and the wind was the only sign that there was any sound in the world. It certainly seemed that all sound had been sucked out of the world just like I had been.

I wished that there could be some way that I could help. It was tragic that the entire population of children was gone.

"I know you don't know me, but is there anything I can do to help?"

Rusl smiled at me and stopped walking, turning to face me. "No." He laughed "Not unless you got some fightin' skills in ya', to fight the bastards that took 'em."

I grinned widely. "I'm pretty good with archery you know, and I know my way around a sword."

"Really. Ya' mind me testing you?" He asked, "Just to be sure of course."

"Not at all."

Rusl led me to his house. It was a quaint house inside, small but practical and cozy. Rugs of faded colors covered the wooden floor. A woman sat on a small chair knitting. She was very pregnant.

"Rusl Darling, who is this?" She asked, squinting at me.

"This is Adelyn..." His voice grew quiet. "I think she suffered the same fate as our children."

Rusl must have thought that I was kidnapped by the same monsters that took the children of Ordon I realized. When he found me, he must have thought that they somehow took me here. Maybe I should have corrected him in that moment, but, I couldn't. It was a much better explanation than the truth. If I were to tell him that I was from another world, I'm not sure what would have happened.

Rusl's wife stood up from the coach, one hand on her back and the other on the arm rest. She walked towards me, eyes twinkling with sympathy. "I see. I'm so sorry. You must miss your family terribly.'' I nodded "Let me make you something to eat. Hmm?"

"That sounds great thank you."

I felt bad lying to her. They seemed like such a nice couple who didn't deserve their child taken away and they certainly didn't deserve my lies. But, what else could I do?

"Make yourself at home." She smiled at me. She turned around and made her way into a room which I guessed was their kitchen.

I sat down on the coach the same as Rusl. There was a huge gap of space between us and neither said a word to the other. You could have heard a pin drop.

To the right of me was a small coffee table with a charcoal drawing of two boys fishing. They both looked eerily similar with their blonde hair and blue eyes. I assumed they must have been Rusl's sons. One of them was at least 6 years older that the other.

"Are these your sons?" I asked, gesturing towards the drawing.

Rusl smiled. "One of them is, other is Link... He was taken too."

"They look close."

"Link was like his brother."

"You would have liked Link. Always putting others before himself even when it hurt him."

"I look forward to meeting him." It occurred to me then that I might be here for a long while.

What if I could never get home, I asked myself. If I were here long enough to meet him, then that meant I might be here for a good long while. What if I never saw my parents again or my friends? Was I missing there? Were Scott, Rose, and Eddie sad that their friend was gone? Did they even notice?

Rusl's wife came back with a bowl of soup that looked and smelled strangely of pumpkin.

"Here ya' go." She said, handing me the bowl of soup. I almost dropped it, it was so hot, but I carefully set it on the coffee table, ignoring the pain.

"So. Addie? You mind if I call ya' Addie?"

"Not at all."

"Well Addie, When your finished with that soup why dont I take you sparring, hmm?"

"Sounds alright to me."

I took a sip of the soup, blowing on it before hand. I was right, it was pumpkin, but It was probably the best thing I ever tasted. It tasted buttery and spicy over my mouth.

"Good, Huh?" Rusl laughed. I had eaten the whole bowl in a few seconds.

"I guess so."

Rusl showed me out of the house and I followed him to a clearing outside of the village. There were already targets and strange scarecrow things that I assumed were for practicing sword skills on. To the right of it was a house, the door high off of the ground.

"First archery." He said, handing me a wooden bow. I took the bow from him gingerly. It was a work of art. It was stained a beautiful dark brown color and carved into it were words that I couldn't read.

First, I strung the bow. I was a little nervous because this bow was completely different to anything I had used before. I was used to compound bows and fake wooden ones that had been manufactured, not carefully carved.

I notched the arrow and pulled the string to my cheek. I blew out, perfect and calm, and released. I smiled widely as it made its mark. My next arrow I notched and released in record time. It was clean and quick which was probably important in a real fight. Not that I had ever been in one before though. I aimed up towards a red target that was hidden in a tree, moving back to get a better view. I released my arrow and it went flying going straight through the wood. A few minutes later and every single one of the targets had been hit with perfect precision. I couldn't help but to smile.

A frown crossed Rusl's face, as if he was trying to figure out what I had just done. He hadn't expected me to do so well I realized. He had underestimated me and I couldn't have been more prouder.

"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "You certainly know your way around a bow."

"I practice."

"I can see that...But how can ya' handle a sword." He threw me a wooden sword.

I wasn't sure how I was going to do. I had a fenced lot in elementary and middle school because of my dad who was obsessed with it. He would always sparr me in the small basement of my house. But, this was different. It was heavier than the thin sword I was used to.

Rusl and I faced off on the sandy ground. The area was the perfect size for the two of us with plenty of room to move.

"Dont hold back" I taunted at Rusl.

Rusl shrugged his shoulders, and slowly placed on foot behind the other, evenly placing his weight on both feet. We circled each other and after several seconds, when it became clear that Rusl wasn't going to make the first move, I charged. I was positive that I wasn't going to be able to win this fight by strength. He was stronger than me. I had to finish it quickly or I would be exhausted.

Right when I was about to be on top of Rusl, I weaved behind him, slashing his back with my sword. He quickly dodged it, rolling out of the way. He jumped back up, but I was right there, not giving him any time to recover. I slashed at him, but he jumped back and kicked me, hard, in the stomach.

It stunned me for a second and I staggered back, but I quickly composed myself. So far I wasn't doing too bad. My fencing was doing quite well against Rusl's sword style. While Rusl was all strength and technique, I was swift and fast.

I moved as Rusl circled me. We faced each other for a moment, then Rusl charged, swinging his sword. Without thinking, I lunged forward, but Rusl easily parried the blow. I whipped the stick toward Rusl's head, twisted it at the last moment, and then tried to hit his side. The solid smack of wood striking wood resounded through the clearing. The old man rushed forward, swinging his sword. I ducked just as the blade whistled over my head.

Suddenly confident, I swung the training sword faster than ever, weaving a web of wood around Rusl's sword. With a burst of speed, I smashed the flat of his blade against Rusl's guard and knocked the sword to the ground. Before he could react, I flicked The sword up to his throat.

We stood panting, the sword tip resting on his collarbone. I slowly lowered my arm and backed away. Rusl picked up his wooden sword and put it through his belt loop. Still breathing hard, he said, "I'm impressed." I smiled sheepishly. "If you want to help I don't think I can stop you."

"I have a friend in Kakariko who I need to get a message to. You might be the woman for the job." Rusl said, smoothing the wrinkles in his tunic. "Some strange twilight has covered the land. It came one day with the monsters. My friend is an expert in Hyrule history. He might know somthin' about it."

"But Rusl, How am I gonna get there?" I asked him.

He patted by head like a child. "My friend Shad is gonna be here in a tomarow. He's headin' that way. He'll take you there."

"If shad is going there, then why do you need me?" I frowned.

Rusl bellowed a great laugh. "Shad may be smart but he ain't to good in the ways of the sword. He'll need ya' and I can't be there."

"Alright." I nodded.

"After that, we can try to find a way to get ya' home."

Home. Home seemed so far away. I could see it in my head like a nightmare.

"I dont know if i'll ever go home."

Rusl looked at me, his eyes wide and fourhead crinkled. "Why's that?"

"Oh?..No reason."

"Okay then." Rusl said, guiding me back to his house. "Why don't you get a good night's rest. Shad will be here tomorrow. My wife and I will pack for you. You just rest then."

"Okay."

That night was the worst night in my entire life. I couldn't sleep, tossing in turning thinking of home, and when I did finally sleep I was cursed with nightmares. I wanted to go home more than anything but I knew I had to accept that I might be stuck in this foreign place for a good long while.


	3. Chapter 3 SHAD

"Wake up, Adelyn." A voice said. It was Uli, Rusl's wife. She stood over my bed with thin arms crossed over her chest. She reminded me of how my mom used to wake me up whenever I slept in accidently on a school day, all business and no play.

I groaned, opening my eyes slowly. "What time is it?" I asked her, yawning.

She rolled her eyes, pulling the covers off of my warm body. "5:30.".

"Ahhh. Its too early." I complained to her.

She rolled her eyes at me in disdain. "The sun waits for no one. Come on, Shad is here." She sauntered out of the room leaving me to myself.

Slowly and reluctantly, I uncovered my face. I blinked, closed my eyes, and blinked again. Streaks of sunlight penetrate the window, blinding me. I sat up, dragged my feet off the bed, and rubbed my knuckles onto my eyes. I stretched my arms above my head and yawned. I watched my legs dangle above the wooden floor.

Though I felt drained of willpower, I made myself get up. That helped to clear my mind. I sifted through my memories of the last two days. My first thought was of The mist and how it had brought me into this strange land, my second was of Rusl and the unwavering kindness he had shown me. This kindness only made me miss home even more. It was a reminder of the people I missed. My parents especially.

When I got out of the bed I noticed that Sitting on a chair in the corner was a folded pile of clothes which I assumed was for me. I picked up a cream colored shirt first that had long sleeves that were lightly embroidered with green vines at the end and I put it on. It was tight fitting around the arms and chest, but it flared out anround my knees with embroidery on the bottom. Next was a pair of brown pants that I slid up. It was hard to get on at first but once it was on it was perfect and able to move in freely. On top of the shirt was a brown jacket it ended right above my hips and it had a type of bustle in the back made of different fabrics. Lastly, I pulled on socks, a pair of boots, and leather gauntlets.

I looked in a small mirror in the corner, insepecting myself. I didn't recognize the girl I saw looking back. She looked like she had stepped out of some movie, like The Lord of the Rings. She was strong and looked fit for battle. She didn't look like me. I usually wore pink fuzzy sweaters and Uggs. I spent most of time shopping at forever 21. I didn't think I could ever get used to this.

I went down the creaky wooden stairs and found Uli cooking over the stove. Rusl and a man that I assumed was Shad were sitting on the couch, eyes furrowed in deep conversation.

Rusl looked up and made eye contact with me. "Shad, this is Adelyn." He said to the man, smiling widely.

"Please, call me Addie." I told the dorky looking man in front me.

The young man before me had a sort of hen-pecked look. His shoulders hunched together like he was trying to disappear inside himself. Even his eyes seemed to be attempting to retreat inside his head. He looked like a startled deer in the woods, fidgeting and almost toppling as he took a large step backwards. He brushed imaginary dirt from his shirt and pants and put his hand out to shake.

"It's a pleasure Addie." He said. I took his outreached hand and shook it lightly.

"She'll be accomponing you to Kakariko."

"Really?" He said, his eyes wide. "It's just you seem so, well small..." I frowned "Not that there is anything wrong with that."

"She beat me with a sword." Rusl said matter of factly.

"Really? You beat the great Rusl?" I nodded "I'm impressed."

Rusl smiled wide, reemebering their sparr from yesterday. "I said the same thing."

"Here you go Addie. I've packed extra clothes that used to belong to Illia... She's the Mayor's daughter, before she outgrew them. There's also some pumpkin bread and mead." She handed me a big leather rucksack that was filled with a variety of things.

"I can't thank you enough."

The group of us made our way outside to where two horses were tied to a fence. They were both beautiful. The kind of horses, one only ever sees in movies. One of them was a fierce black and the other a beautiful chestnut brown. I could only stare. Shad got on the black horse so I could only assume the chestnut one was mine.

My horse was not above medium size, but he was alert, slender-limbed, muscled with watch springs, and just a grey-hound to go. He was a beauty, glossy as silk, and naked as the day when he was born, except for a bridle and a ranger saddle.

I was about to saddle my horse when Rusl put a hand on my shoulder stopping me. "Addie can I talk to you in private."

He led me to an area next to a small pond. He fished into his pockets and pulled out a envelope with a wax seal.

He handed it to me. "If ya' end up findin' our kids somehow write to me at this address. Okay?"

I smiled at him, nodding. "Of course Rusl."

"I have faith in Ya', Girl." He smiled, his eyes blank and mystified. "You remind me someone I used to know. She was strong, witty, and beautiful. Looked a lot like ya' too."

I frowned. "Who was she?"

He closed his eyes slightly, remembering. "An old friend I used to fight along with back in the wars twenty years ago." He went quiet, seeming to be lost in memories. Wheather they were good or bad, had yet to have been said.

I suddenly spoke, suprised. "The wars?" I asked. It seemed that no matter what place you found yourself in their always seems to be Wars. The world would never tire of their weapons and bloodshed.

"The Wars Of Greks. Goodness girl, where have ya' been that you don't know about the wars?"

I snickered. "It's a long story."

"I got time."

"Maybe I'll tell you someday."

He looked seriously at me. "I'll look forward to it."

"Goodbye Rusl, Uli." I said getting on to the chestnut mare which I learned was named Kordoc.

Uli smiled at me, handing me a brown leather rucksack. "You almost forgot this. Take care Addie."

"Wait." I heard a voice said. It was Rusl running from his house, a bow and sword in his hand. He exhaled. "These are for you." He handed me the bow I had used yesterday and a sword. "This sword used to belong to the woman I told you about. She left it to me before she died and I think she would want it to be used. It's name is Durendal.

The handle fit my hand as if it had been made for me. I slowly drew the sword; it slid soundlessly from the sheath. The flat blade was a bright cobalt blue and it shimmered when it moved. The keen edges curved gracefully to a sharp point. A silver symbol was inscribed on the metal, three triangles forming one. The balance of the sword was perfect; it felt like an extension of my arm, unlike the wooden practice sword I had beaten Rusl with. It was beautiful.

"What does it mean?" I asked him, starring at the blade.

"Enduring flame." He informed me, smiling. "I hope you'll use it well."

I couldn't take another thing from him. They had already given me clothes and a place to sleep and all I had done was lie to him. I felt horrible.

"Rusl? I can't take these." I told him, "You've already done so much for me. I feel guilty."

"Don't feel guilty. Consider it as a payment for going to Kakariko for me, hmm?" I took a second before replying to his kindness. "Thank You."

"Favor honors the brave Addie. Don't forget that."

Shad and I left the small village in silence our horses trotted at a slow pace. Rusl told me that the journey through the forest would be long, but not nearly as long as the journey through the wide open field of Hyrule.

The first day of riding was hell for me. I wasn't used to riding a horse for such a long time and could already start to feel my legs and arms tire. It was only the first day. I couldn't imagine what the rest of the trek would be like. Shad and I still hadn't talked and truthfully I had begun to get sick of the silence.

I could feel the heat of the summer sun beating down on my back. The leather reins rubbed soon-to-be blisters between my fingers. The horse beneath me was just as done with this day as I was, his neck was lathered in thick sweat, curling the short, stiff hairs of his summer coat. Foam leaked from the corners of his mouth from working with the copper snaffle. 'A more few more hours, buddy' I thought to myself as I gave him a pat on the neck and picked up the reins - trotting off. His wimpy mane bounced with his stride, he had never even had enough to braid. I shifted my weight to my outside hip and dug my heel into his right side, he picked up the lead in perfect rhythm, tucking his head in and bounded forwards.

Finaly the two of us and our exhausted horses stopped for the night. I collected dried branches and wood for Shad to start a fire. If we were being honest, I had no idea to start a fire. The night was frigid and I was looking forward to sleeping next the heat.

The two of us sat down an equal distance away from each other. Shad, who had become sick of the silence was the first to talk. "Rusl told me you were kidnapped from your home? A place called Michigan."

"Umhm." I nodded my head, lying of course. I wished I could tell someone I hadn't actually been kidnapped. I was getting tired of all the lying.

We were silent. "I'm sure you'll get home soon, Miss." He finally said, Sympothy in his voice.

I looked at the fire, suddenly very interested in the way the flames danced and left ghosts of shadows in the night. "I'm not sure I will." I mumbled.

"Why's that?" He questioned, looking intently at me.

"My home is very far away and I'm not sure how I'll get back."

He grabbed my hand "We'll find a way."

I smiled at Shads attempt to make me feel better, but I didn't think that he could no matter how hard he tried. Somethings aren't meant to be fixed. I didn't think anyone could mend the hole that was starting to form in my heart.

When we woke up dawn was gray and overcast with a cutting wind. The forest was quiet. After a light breakfast, Shad and I doused the fire and shouldered our packs, preparing to leave. I hung my bow and quiver on the side of my pack where I could easily reach them.

I felt even worse than the day before. Bruises covered my legs, and I was almost too sore to move. My hands were a bright red from the leather reigns of the horse. Shad looked up from the mush he was serving and grinned. "How do you feel?" I grunted and bolted down the breakfast. Shad was used to the long travel on horseback. He had told me that the journey from Castle Town, their capital, was a lot longer and more dangerous since you had to cut through the middle of the field were monsters called Bokoblins and Bublins liked to attack travelers.

He told me that to the west there were huge lake that sparkled called Lake Hylia. A strange race of people called Zoras lived there. They could swim long distances and breath underwater. He also told me about Gorons who lived at Death Mountain, a horrible name for a mountain if you ask me. Apparently, There were Gorons in Kakariko, So, I might get to see some.

Once on the road, we traveled swiftly so as to reach Hyrule field before noon. Shad was content to tell me stories about Hyrule. One story I found more interesting that the rest. " There are Legends of a hero clad in green." Shad mused. "Whenever the world was in danger from the evils of the world he was always there to protect the innocent and uphold the order. Whether he was lost in time or Skyward bound he would be there with his master sword ready to protect the world." Shad grew eerily silent.

"What wrong, Shad?"

"It's just that with everything that has happened, we could use a hero."

As the ruts in the road deepened, I noticed more footprints, showing the road well traveled. The village that we crossed next was larger than Ordon, but it had been constructed haphazardly, the houses aligned in no particular order.

After passing the village we entered the wide opened expanse of Hyrule field. It unnerved me how flat everything was; the plains were unbroken by hummocks or mounds. I had lived my entire life surrounded by skyscrapers and cars. Without them, I felt exposed and vulnerable, like a mouse under an eagle's keen eye.

Since there was no shelter, we were forced to camp in the open. I found some groose, a short tough plant that thrived in harsh conditions, and pulled it up. Making a careful pile I tried to light it, but the woody stems only smoked and gave off a pungent smell. Frustrated, I tossed the tinderbox to Shad. "I can't make it burn, especially with this blasted wind. See if you can get it going: otherwise dinner will be cold."

He only laughed at me and pulled out a strange device that looked eerily like a lighter and started the fire.

So far we hadn't run into much trouble. The occasional bulbin attacked but it was nothing that I couldn't take care of. But on those few occasions it became increasingly clear that Shad needed to learn how to handle a sword. I had to constantly make sure that I wouldn't die while also taking care of Shad so, I decided Shad needed to learn how to use a sword.

We would spend our nights sparring, eating dinner and codling are bruises from that night. Shad was awful at sparring. Absulutly horrid.

First, when I threw him a branch that he could spar with...He missed. We then faced each other, ready to start. I charged and Shad closed his eyes, dropping the branch. "Shad!" I chastised him. "You do realize that you have to actually hold the sword and open your eyes to fight? Hmm?"

He sighed. "Can we start again?"

I handed him the branch and faced him again. This time when I charged he opened his eyes and didn't let go of the sword. Which I guessed was an improvement. But, he didn't move and I easily hit his side with the branch.

I decided that was enough for the day, after an hour of really getting no where. I lit a fire with Shad's lighter and dropped some meat in a small pot over the fire with a lump of salt. After three days of eating bland stew and mush I was craving something more. Something told me though that I would have to get used it. I spread out my bedroll and relaxed for the night. I heard Shad snoring signaling he had fallen asleep. I wasn't sure how he did that, falling asleep that is.

Four days into our journey we ran into a mail man. He was a boisterous lanky man that should have been wearing more clothes. The tight running outfit he wore showed more of him than I really wanted to see. The letter was from Rusl.

I wished I could have read the letter, but the characters weren't in English.

"What does it say?" Shad asked me.

I swollowed air. "I can't read it, Shad."

His eyes widened in suprise. "Really?"

I nodded to him, looking down on the ground.

He smiled widely at me. "If you want I could teach you."

"Can you read it to me?" I smiled at him. I felt useless in that moment. I loved to read at home. This only stood as a strong reminder that I wasn't there.

I got lost in the words Shad spoke and listened intently.

 _Dear Addie and Shad,_

 _I just left for Castle Town, there was quite a few things that I needed to take care of before I left._

 _Enclosed is a key to the gate of Kakariko. I forgot to give it to you when you were here. Make_

 _Sure you take care of it. You won't be able to get in without it. I wrote a letter to my friend that you were coming so you should be welcomed with open arms if he gets it in time. Sometimes_

 _The man who delivers the mail can be unreliable when it comes to delivering mail. If this reaches you in time, then assume you should be more than halfway there. Good Luck Girl and Remember, Fortune Favors the Brave._

 _Rusl._

Our days followed the same pattern. First, I struggled to read the new language. Then, in the evening, I trained against Shad with fake swords we had made out of branches. I was in constant discomfort, but gradually I began to change, almost without noticing. Soon, I was able to read easier than I had before and I no longer was in constant pain from the long hours on the horse. I mastered the first exercises Shad gave me and undertook harder ones, and my knowledge of the language grew.

In our sparring, Shad gained confidence and speed, striking like a snake. His blows became heavier, and his arm no longer trembled when he warded off attacks. The clashes lasted longer as he learned how to fend off my attacks. Now, after two weeks of travel, when we went to sleep, Shad was not the only one with bruises.

.


	4. Chapter 4 HEROES

The days passed quickly as we continued to trek along the field, searching for the gate to Kakariko. I could not complain of boredom. When not learning the Hyrule language, I was either Sparring with Shad or Learning about Hyrule. Shad also taught me how to use a slingshot, which surprisingly saved us time hunting. He would hold a small rock in his hand and shoot it at his prey. It was impossible to miss. The results of his efforts roasted over the fire each night. And after dinner, Shad and I would spar with swords and, occasionally, fists.

The long days and strenuous work stripped My body of excess fat. My arms became corded, and my tanned skin rippled with lean muscles. "Everything about me was turning hard," I thought dryly.

That day we arrived at a small village named Treim. It was more of a trading post than an actual town, more dilapidated than anything. The houses were grim and foreboding. Small, deep windows let in only sparse rays of light. Narrow doors were recessed into the buildings. The tops of the roofs were flat— except for thatched railings—and all were covered with slate shingles.

I shivered. The village seemed unnaturally empty. Doors were closed, windows were shuttered, and the few pedestrians in evidence averted their faces and turned down alleys to avoid walking past us. They looked like people who were at the end of the string, they might snap at any second. Eager to escape the open street, I raised my hand to knock on a wooden door that read 'Inn' but before I could, the door grated outward, and cheery man beckoned from within. Tightening my sword belt, I entered.

The smoke twisted in its artistic way, forming curls in the gloom, illuminated only by the flickering lanterns that hung haphazardly on the walls. It was a boisterous tavern on the inside. People sat at the bar drinking large tankards of mead and all different types of alcohol.

"Excuse me." I said to the innkeeper who was looking down at a book.

"How can I be of service, young miss?" He asked, looking up.

"Two rooms please." I said, pressing a rupee against the counter.

He smiled widely at me, teeth showing. "Of course. Would ya' like a bath too if you don't mind my 'askin?"

"Is it warm?" I questioned, grimacing.

"Yes miss. We have a hot spring in the back that flows from death mountain."

"A bath sounds lovely."

"Alrig' I can show Ya' to the spring if ya' want to get cleaned up first."

"Brilliant!" Shad exclaimed.

The inn keeper led Shad and I to the back of the Inn. There we saw a hot spring, billowing with steam. Off to the side there was a smaller spring with a curtain around it. I assumed this was for women.

"Over there." He said, pointing the spring I assumed was for women. "You'll find soap and coral there for washing."

I thanked him and waited him to leave before I started to undress. It felt relaxing being alone. I stripped quickly and, cold, hurried to the edge of the pool. I inched forward until my foot touched warm water, then eased myself into it.

The pool was mildly salty, but soothing and calm. For a moment I was afraid of drifting away from the door, into deeper water, but as I waded forward, I discovered the water reached only to my waist. I groped over a slippery wall until I found the soap and brushes, then scrubbed myself. Dirt, blood, and sweat, which had been caked to my body started to come off as I scrubbed. It felt great to finally be clean after such a long time. Afterward, I floated with my eyes closed, enjoying the warmth.

In that moment I was finally able to think for the first time in a while. I realized that I wasn't sure what I was going to do after I made it to Kakariko. Would I return to Ordon or stay there? Would I try to find a way home, if there even was away? The future was uncertain. The only thing I knew assuredly was that under the moon and the stars, there was a long road ahead of me

When I emerged, dripping, I found a towel, and my clothes cleaned. Someone must have cleaned them while I was in the spring. The clothes fit me reasonably well, but after a long time traveling, I had lost some weight so, they no longer fit me when they had when I first wore them.

For the first time since leaving home, I felt secure and hopeful. I was warm and fed and had been able to sleep as long as I liked. Tension unknotted inside me—tension that had been accumulating since Leaving Ordon and, even before, being taken from my home. For the first time I wasn't thinking about anything. I felt relaxed.

When I went to the Tavern below, Shad was sitting at the bar reading from an old faded book that I couldn't read. Some of the pages where torn. On the front was a triangle design. The same as the one on my sword. "What language is that?"

He smiled, excited "The language of the sky People."

The writing was beautiful, looking almost like Gaelic or some Celtic language.

 _O mo chridhe,_

 _Deireadh a rugadh bho aisling._

 _Tha sinn aotrom a 'creidsinn;_

 _Bataidh ann an allt a bhios a 'ruith gu cunbhalach._

 _Fàs agus soirbheachadh;_

 _Ann an saoghal mìorbhaileach._

 _Buinidh e daonnan._

 _Clann mo chùraim,_

 _nighean dòchasach._

 _Is e an t-òran as bòidhche a th 'agam air an leanabh_

 _Nuair a dh 'fhaodadh ùine tighinn sìos_

 _Beinn agus tuiteam an glean_

 _Do neach sam bith a bhios a 'fuireach na làithean_

 _Sin a nì mi._

 _Rè an tuiteam, chan e sgàil na talmhainn a th 'ann_

 _Gaoth, seasamh teine_

 _Agus thusa, chan eil fios aig mo phàiste, no a bhith a 'sabaid an aghaidh, mo Dhia,_

 _gualainn_.

"What does it say?" I asked, Shad.

"It's the goddess Hylia lamenting over her chosen heroes, giving them strength. It's really beautiful." He mused the words of the song beautifully.

 _Oh child of my heart,_

 _Born of a never ending dream._

 _You were cradled in light,_

 _Bathed in an ever flowing stream._

 _Flourish and grow,_

 _my mystical world._

 _Here you will ever belong._

 _Son of my yearning,_

 _Daughter of hope._

 _Beautiful child of my song._

 _Although storms may descend,_

 _Mountain and valley may quake._

 _For the days that remain,_

 _This is the promise I make._

 _No shadow fall across this land,_

 _Before the wind and fire I stand,_

 _And you my child will know no harm,_

 _Enfolded in my arms._

"Wonderful," I exclaimed to him. "It's enchanting"

"It just makes me hope that the Chosen hero will come rescue us."

I looked off, my eyes glossy and mystified. "I've never been a fan of Legends of heroes." Shad opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it just as fast. " Legends are all to do with the past and nothing to do with the present." I continued. "Sometimes you have to be your own hero because no one else will."

Shad smiled. "Well said. I've never thought about it in that way- " he broke off suddenly happy "We should be in Kakariko in three days."

"Really?" I asked. The prospect of ending this grueling journey sounded like heaven.

The bartender put two bowls of stew on our table. We were eating peacefully until a woman to came up to us. "Excuse me. Did you say you're going to Kakariko?"

"Yes. Why?" Shad asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"It's just that..." she broke off, her eyes wet and misty. "...the village was attacked by those monsters a little over two weeks ago...Most of the population was killed." She paused, as if to let us breath it all in.

"What?" I asked, confused, sad, worried. I wasn't sure how I felt.

"I'm sorry." She said, turning to look at me "I hope ya' didn't have any family there."

"No we didn't." Shad said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry nevertheless."

We ate in silence. We would be in Kakariko in three days and yet it seemed even farther away now than when we started our journey.

The sun rose the next morning with a glorious configuration of pink and yellow. The air was fresh, sweet, and very cold. Ice edged the streams, and small pools were completely frozen over my eyes, I sat up on the edge of the bed. The pine floor was cold under my feet. I stretched my sore legs and rubbed my back, yawning. After a breakfast of porridge, Shad I saddled our horses and made our way back to the road that led to Kakariko. The road went on.

The next day was silence. We were too afraid to talk in fear that by talking we may upset those who had died in Kakariko. I was now painfully aware of the world I was in. This wasn't some dream or adventure I had been put into. This was real life where people died and struggled. Everything I did had a consequence. At any turn I could die and no at home would know what happened to me.

I was scared, terribibly scared and wanted to be at home. Before a few weeks ago the only thing I had to worry about being my chemistry homework and what I was wearing to school the next day. If I were home I would have been a pointless six hour day of learning things I would never use in life. But now, everyday was a lesson. Everyday was a struggle and I would have to learn from or Die trying.

After a few more days of travel after the inn, I ached to be back in that feather bed, when I thought I couldn't take the travel anymore Shad exclaimed, his eyes wide with happiness and anticipation. "Addie! Its the gate to Kakariko!"

For a second I felt pure happiness, or what I thought pure happiness might feel like. I longed for a bath and a bed. I yearned to talk to someone besides Shad, no offense to him. But, I had gotten tired of him talking about the people of the sky.

Kordoc Trotted a few for steps toward the gate. I began to fumble in my rucksack, pulling out the skeleton key that Rusl had mailed to me. I heard a snap and then there was a fiery pain in my leg, looking down I saw an arrow protruding from my thigh. Sticky blood, wet, started to slowly drip down my leg.

"Addie?" Shad asked, not seeing the arrow in my leg yet.

I almost couldn't move at first, I was in such shock. It came out of nowhere. That's when I saw the hoard of Bulbins making their way towards the two of us.

"Shad?" I told him urgently. "-get to the gate. Don't look back just get out of here, okay?"

"Whats wrong?"

"Just listen to me Shad!" I snapped.

I didn't want to tell him that at least twenty Bulbins were making their way towards us, some of them were on animals that I could only describe as boars. They were getting louder, their war cries, cutting through the wind, feet pounding into the ground like a herd of horses.

Shad could hear them now, his eyes going wide, but he still hadn't seen my leg. "Just go! Here's the key" I said, throwing the key to him. "If I'm not back in five minutes then you can worry and send help. Okay?" Reluctantly, shaking his head, Shad made his way to the gate to go and get help.

I watched Shad leave, his horse racing quickly to the gate. I strung my bow as quickly as possible and pulled out my first arrow. I stood tall and straight, all fear gone, and raised the bow smoothly. The Bulbins seemed to laughed and lifted their shields. I sighted down the shaft, as I had done hundreds of times, and aligned the arrowhead with the bulbin closest to me. The energy inside me burned at an unbearable level. I would make it out of here alive. I had to. I released it and the battle begun.

My efforts; large fangs separated in a soundless bellow. With the Bulbins almost upon me, I strung an arrow, spun Kordoc to a stop, took aim, and released. The Bulbin snapped up his arm and caught the quivering bolt on his shield. The monster collided with me before I could shoot again, and we fell to the ground in a confused tangle.

I sprang to my feet and rushed back to Kordoc, who was running around in fear. He stopped when he saw me. My leg screamed with agony, but I kept going. I was limping but I could do it.

I heard a loud creak of wood and metal. Shad had opened the the gate and was retreating into the village. 'Good' I thought, 'Hopefully he would bring help in time. I'm not in the mood to die.'

A deafening scream tore out of me as I saw a Bulbin on a boar charge at me. I had been distracted watching Shad open the gate. I hadn't seen it barrel towards him.

He then faced me contemptuously, swinging his ax. I ducked under the two-handed blow and clawed the Bublins side with Durendal, leaving bloody furrows. The Bulbins face twisted with rage. He slashed again, but missed as I dived to the side and scrambled to my horse.

As I faced the Bublins, images flashed in my mind: dead villagers piled around the spear and an innocent baby who would never grow to adulthood. At the thought of their fate, a burning, fiery power gathered from every part of my body. I knew that if I couldn't defeat them, then they may attack Kakariko next. It was more than a desire for justice. It was my entire being rebelling against the fact of death—that I and the villagers would cease to exist. The power grew stronger and stronger until I felt ready to burst from the contained force. I would protect them. I would protect Shad. I would protect myself

I held Durendal in my hand, hoping that Shad would send someone to help me soon. I wasn't sure how long I was going to last with my leg they way it was. The boar sped towards me, charging. Two bulbins were on either side of me blocking any chance I had of escaping the monster.

He was almost towards me when I charged towards him and at the last moment slid under the barreling monster and aimed Darendal up in his stomach. I heard a loud bellow from the animal as it quickly fell to the right of me.

Despite the effort, I was surrounded and that was when I saw him. A man on a horse came rushing towards me. He was wearing a faded green tunic and a weird looking hat. 'Shad must have sent help' I realized. 'He had made it there safely.'

The boy on the horse couldn't have been older than seventeen or eighteen. But he held his sword with the kind of confidence that only came with experience.

"Grab on!" He said to me, reaching out his hand.

I grabbed his hand and jumped on the horse immediately, wrapping an arm around his waist. At least twenty Bulbins were still swarming the area and even more laid dead on the ground.

"Can you use that thing?" He asked me, pointing to bow in my hand.

"Can I?" I abruptly notched an arrow and shot a Bulbin that was too close to the horse for comfort. The nameless boy only smirked at me as the monster hit the ground with a thump. There were nineteen Bulbins left.

My heart jumped with a painful flutter as I panted for breath. My hands had begun to get slick with sweat. Adreniline stormed through my body. If it weren't for it, I probably would have collapsed from the pain of the arrow in my body a long time ago.

"To the right!" The boy screamed. I shot an arrow to the right. The Bulbin when tumbling to the ground, blood shooting from his body.

"Got it!" I screamed at him over the sound of war cries. I hit another one to the left.

The boy, with his sword in hand started to chopp away at any Bulbin who found himself unlucky enough to find itself close to us. Quickly all of the Bulbins were gone.

After looking in every direction to see if it was safe, the boy let me off of the horse and I made my way to Kordoc. The poor horse was terrified, tearing up grass as he stomped the wet grass beneath his hoof. "Kordoc," I said to him gently, my hand raised in front of me. "Calm down, it's okay now. Their gone."

I climbed onto the horse, he suddenly neighed loudly, kicking up his feet. That was when I felt it. I screamed.

A lone Bulbin, that was somehow undetected, had shot me in the back. I fell to the ground, My knees slamming down painfully. I vaguely heard someone running to me. It was the boy in green. He touched my shoulder, but I didn't react. He tried to speak to me, but I couldn't see him. It felt like blood was rushing to my ears. My heart was beating rapidly and I couldn't breath. Thump, Thump, Thump.

I felt strong arms pick me up off of the ground. I was put on a horse. Someone was sitting behind me? I felt so much pain. Then there was nothing and I felt my body go cold. I couldn't feel anything. Nothing. There was nothing. And then...I saw nothing.


	5. Chapter 5 RANADO

Link rushed into the village, a bleeding Addie in his arms. "Stay with me." He urgently commanded her. Her eyes were still open, although they were beginning to droop down. "I...I...It hurts." She softly cried into his chest, closing her eyes. Sweat was trickling down her Dark chocolate brown hair, sticking the hair to her face.

Link was panicked and quickened his run, kicking up sand and rocks behind him, to where Ranado and Shad were. They were sitting on a bench outside a store, but jumped up when they saw the bleeding unconscious Addie. "Help! She's been hurt."

Shad, Ranado, and Luda; Ranado's daughter, hurried to meet Link. " Follow me!" Ranado commanded, leading them to a large building in the middle of the dissolved town. Link followed Ranado, Addie still in his arms, curled against group charged into the building and didn't stop until they where in a dining room.

"Put her on the table." In moments, the long dining room table had been cleared, a sterile white cloth spread across it, and Addie hoisted onto it. Ranado poured water from a kettle into a basin while ordering his daughter to pull a series of his remedies from the medicine cabinet. Dried herbs and tinctures and store-bought bottles. His hands, the long, tapered fingers crumbling this, adding drops of that, into the basin. Soaking a cloth in the hot liquid as he gave his daughter instructions to prepare a second brew.

"Oh my goddesses." Shad said, his eyes wide almost pushing out of his head, sweat falling down his face in droplets. He stood utterly frozen in the doorway of the building, arms clenched tight against his body as he leaned against the door frame for support.

"Shad!" Ranado snapped at him, knocking him out of his reverie. "Go boil some more water and bring some clean linen! As much as you can get! They're in a cabinet in the kitchen!" Shad turned around, almost tripping over his feet, going into the kitchen.

Link stared at the girl, his eyebrows furrowed and forehead crinkled. His voice was deadly serious but showed no sign of wavering. "Ranado, How bad is it?" He was rubbing his arms against his clothes even though they were spotless. Then, He took off his green cap, laying it down on a chair and put a hand through his blonde curls.

Ranado looked down at the ground for a second, then looked up straight into Link's eye. "It's not looking well..." His voice was so soft that Link almost couldn't hear him. "It just missed her heart."

"Do you have any potions?" Link asked, His voice cracking.

Link didn't know the girl, but he felt like it was his fault. If he had made sure that there were no more Bublins then this wouldn't have happened. The girl would have been safe, talking to Ranado and him. Link frustration built so much that you would think he might explode -He took a deep breath. He wanted to shout, and beat his hands on the ground like a toddler. He kept thinking of what he could have done to make this better. But, he would be strong. Not for himself, but for the girl who was dying in front of him and for everyone else in the room.

Ranado grew grim. "Not many. We used them up after the attack."

"I have a few in my bag." He said urgently "I'll get them for you." Link rushed out of the room and up the stairs out of sight.

"Hang in there girl." Ranado held her hand encouragingly and stroked her hair. He wasn't sure if she was going to survive this and even if she did, she would carry this burden for the rest of her life. She would feel it's pain.

Just as quickly as Link had left, he came back barreling down the stairs with three different containers of liquid in his hands. They jostled back in forth as he pulled the cork stopper from the first bottle, vibrant colors swirling back and forth.

"Here...Come on. Drink." Ranado said, opening her mouth and tilting her her back. Link poured the first potion into her mouth, mumbling a silent prayer. At first she wouldn't drink. She started coughing in violent fits. Ranado was panicked, his heart beating out of his chest. She had to drink the potions or she would die. Then Addie relaxed and let the amber liquid flow down her throat.

"There ya' go girl." He said, his lips forming into a smile.

"I wish we had a fairy." Link said, his voice strained and thin.

"Theres a spring up in the mountains that supposedly has healing properties." He stopped, thinking. "...Blessed by the goddesses or somethin'. Could ya get some Link? We could use some blessings."

Link nodded. "Of course, Ranado."

Shad entered the room just as Link left, a heaping pile of cloth in his arms. "Here's the Linen." He half screamed "The water's over the fire."

"Good. We need to wait until Link comes back with the spring water to take it out. I'm Afraid if we take it out now she'll bleed to death."

Shad shook his head violently. "This can't be happening. It just can't."

"Pull yourself together. This girl needs all of us in our right minds if she's gonna survive." He snapped at him. "What's this girls name?"

"Her names Adelyn."

"Don't she have a last name boy?"

"She's never told me."

Ranado sighed, "I pray Link comes back in time or I'll have to take that arrow out without it's help." He shook his head. "Here grab some of those cloths." He pointed to the ones Shad had brought down. "We can't take out the arrow but we might be able to but some time until Link comes back."

Ranado wrapped the long clothes around the arrow shaft. "Here help me. Wrap your hands around the shaft and apply as much pressure as possible. But, whatever you do don't move it."

Shad nodded and did as he was told. He couldn't help but look at Adelyn's face. It was grey, no longer the pink that it usually was. Her eyes kept opening and closing rapidly. "You're gonna be alright Adelyn. This will all be over soon."

"Why are the two of you here?" Ranado asked while dribbling another potion down Adelyn's throat.

"Rusl sent us. He thought you might know something about the monsters."

Ranado's shoulders collapsed, his head shaking slowly. "I'm afraid I know as much as you do Shad." He said, almost in a slur. Exhaustion was slowing starting to creep into his voice.

"Ranado, What's going on?" A tiny voice said, peeking from behind the doorway. It was a small boy with short blonde hair. He was short and looked terrified at the bleeding girl on the table.

"Luda," he said, turning to his daughter, who was looking green and tired. "Take Colin back upstairs. I'll explain everything to him in the morning." She nodded and grabbed one of Colins small hands, leading him back up the stairs to his room.

Colin ran back down the stairs, escaping Luda's tight grasp. "Is she alright?" He panted, his eyes wide. He looked straight up at Ranado, His eyes twinkling.

"She'll be fine." He said, patting his shoulder. "Go to bed Colin. You've had a rough day."

"But Ranado, I'm fine." Colin complained. Ranado simply cocked his head to the side. Colin slouched his shoulders and put his head down, lightly kicking his feet against the ground. He sighed, keeping his head down and made his way back up the stairs walking slowly in pitiful steps. Luda walked behind him shaking her head.

"That's Rusl's son!" He exclaimed, smiling for the first time since coming to Kakariko. "The kids are here?" Shad was filled with utter glee.

"Yes." Ranado told him.

"By the Goddesses!" He said, throwing his hands in the air. "We have to tell Rusl! He'll be so happy."

Ranado suddenly went silent. "Those poor kids. They've gone through so much." He whispered. "Only hours before you came here the King Bulbin attacked and kidnapped that poor boy. Link was forced to run after the King, facing him down on horseback at the Bridge of Eldin. In the end, Link defeated him."

"Who is this Link?" Shad asked, his tone more defensive than it had ever been before. "He doesn't seem like a normal ranch hand."

Ranado shook his head at Shad. "Link has a large destiny in the upcoming fight against good and evil."

Shad's eyes were vacant, mouth wide open. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I." He replied, honestly. He started pacing around the room. " All I know is that the twilight over us left the moment he came. And again, when Colin was taken, Link had been the one to save him."

"How could one man have ended the twilight over Kakariko?" He posed.

Ranado considered what Shad said for a second. His eyes drifting up before he smiled. "Change only takes one man to step up when everyone else steps down."

Shad shook his head, frowning. "That girl has gone through a lot too." He responded, changing the subject and looking towards Addie whose face had gone grey. "She was taken from her home. Just like em.'"

"Really? I thought They were the only children taken."

"Rusl found her in the forest. She had no idea how she had gotten here...It's strange..." A drop of sweat appeared at his temples and, although it seemed impossible, his frown got even deeper. "She said she's from Hyrule, but she knows nothing about it." He broke off, then went on a tangent. "She can't read, Ranado. She didn't know the legend about the hero of time."

"Every child knows the legend of The Hero Of Time... It's our history." He said, matter of factly.

"Exactly." Shad said, throwing a fist on his leg.

"Something isn't right." Shad stuttered, staring at the unconscious Addie.

"Do you think she could be a spy?" Ranado whispered.

Shad shook his head. "No. I've gotten to know her over the weeks traveling." He smiled, looking down at the ground. "She's a kind soul... And she seemed to genuinely want to go home."

"Strange." The loud whistle of the kettle interrupted their thoughts.

Shad stood up from the rickity chair. "I'll go get the water."

"I have the spring water!" Link said, rushing through the doorway, a jar of clear water in his hands.

Shad furrowed his eyebrows at link, getting up from his chair. "That was quick."

"I ran." Was Link's only response as he turned to Ranado. "Here you go." He gave the jar to the shaman.

Shad wasn't quite sure of what he thought of this Link character. So far all he knew was that he liked to dress up as the hero of time in his green garb, he liked saving people, and was apparently a fast runner. He mentally slapped himself. That wasn't important. What was important was saving Adelyn. She was already looking close to death.

Shad left the room to go get the water. He couldn't help but to think of moment of when he came running into the village asking for help. Link and Ranado seemed to be in deep conversation outside of the building they were now in. Link was the first to rush and help Shad, while Ranado seemed entirely too suspicious. In the few seconds of when Shad told Link, he was already on his horse galloping away to help Addie.

He quickly took the kettle off of the fire and brought it into the room. "Here's the water." Shad exclaimed, bringing in a steaming kettle. He put the kettle down on the chair he had once occupied.

Ranado turned to Link, "Put more cloths around the Shaft of the arrow. I'm going to have to take it out." Ranado broke off the arrow head on the arrow and got ready to pull out the arrow. "Get ready, when I take it out there's gonna be a lot of blood. You need to put the linen on it immediately with as much pressure as possible. Ready?" Shad nodded, so did Link. "Go!" Ranado pulled out the arrow quickly and put a piece of cloth under Addie, laying her on her back. Shad put an equal amount of pressure on the front.

"Hand me that wrap." Shad grabbed the wrap that had been soaking in medicinal juices with his free hand from a small table on the side and shoved the wrap into his hands. Tightly, Ranado wound the cloth around her shoulder, while still keeping pressure on her wounds.

After it was done, Shad collapsed on the chair next to the table and wiped off the sweat from his brow. "We're not done yet, Shad. If we don't close up the wound she will bleed to death. I must perform surgery."

"Both of you leave the room. I will do this by myself." The two of them started to protest, but Ranado quickly shut them up, throwing daggers at them with his dark eyes.

Ranado watched the two men leave before he mumbled under his breath. "There is a reason I'm known as a Shaman." He took the spring water and rubbed it on his hands. He took the bandages off of her body, blood pouring out. "Goddesses, help me." He breathed.

He went to work right away, but It wasn't a surgery he was performing. It was a spell. It seemed that only magic could save Addie now. He lit three candles by her head as well as a drop of water and a leaf. He then put his hands on her wounds, humming the words, soft and low.

F _arore, Din, Nayru, Three, We beseech thee._

 _Forest born, Fire Made, Water Blessed,_

 _Help her find her Rest_

 _Courage, Wisdom and Power too,_

 _heal her body, bring her through._

 _Scour the darkness of the depths,_

 _help this hero on her quest._

 _When darkness comes and light is nigh_

 _Heal the world within a sigh._

 _Tears that fall, fall no more_

 _Light return to Hyrule's shore._

 _Look Down and hear our cry._

 _Ever perfect light, emblazon the sky._

 _Heed us as to thee we sing,_

 _Enlighten us in the hope you bring._

 _Guide our way and aid us, this we dream_

He put all of his energy into the words, repeating them over and over.

Nothing happened.

The room was silent except for the small and raspy breath from Ranado. He wanted to cry. It had always worked. Never once had his magic failed. He had failed Addie and know she would die. He approached her small frame. Her breathing would stop for a time only to reemerge like a drowning victim coming up for one last breath.

Link came busting through the room. "Did it work? Is she okay?"

Ranado couldn't make a sound, instead he shook is head and sat down quietly on a nearby stool. Link approached Addie's frail and pale, almost lifeless body. "She's dying." Ranado said from behind Link.

Link couldn't believe it. Only moments ago the young women had been fighting side by side with him. He wished more than anything that he knew her. But he didn't. Time, he wanted more time. She seemed brave and fierce in the seconds that they had met. She didn't even really know her name. The boy, Shad, had briefly said a name but he didn't hear it. He wished he could know the name of the girl. He sat next to her on a nearby stool. He would make sure she wouldn't die alone.

He grabbed her small hand in his and simply looked at her. Her eyes were open and a small tear trickled down her face. "It's okay." He told her, not sure what else he could say.

"Goin' to die?" A small voice squeezed out.

Link shook his head vigorously. "No your not going to die. Your going to feel so much better after a short nap. Ranado is a wonderful healer." He hated lying to her but no one should have to feel so afraid. He was going to make sure she simply fell asleep. She would never know she was dying.

She smiled slightly but then coughed as if the smallest of muscle movements could hurt her even more. "A…de…ly…n…"

"What?" He asked, unsure of what she said.

"…My name…"

Link smiled, so that was her name. Adelyn. It was beautiful. "My name is Link, Adelyn. You'll be okay. Just you wait and see."

Adelyn shook her head. "No." She was looking down at her stomach.

Link felt a tear fall down his cheek. She knew she was dying. She started causing loudly and cried. "Ranado!' Link yelled.

The man came over. "I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do. Talk to her. Ease her pain."

"Tell me about your home Adelyn." Link told her.

Adelyn smiled slightly as he mentioned her home. "It..'s…A …lot…differ..ent. My…mom…I..miss…my…mom…"

"You'll see her again." A small tear started to stream down Links face. "You'll be with her soon. I can count on it."

"Not…Like…ly…She's…too…far…away."

"I'll go and find her for you."

"That… would…be…nice…"

Adelyn's breath became slower and slower until there was none left. All Link could do was hold her hand and help her not be so afraid. In a moment, Eyes that once danced with light were now vacant and staring. Her once rosy complexion slowly began to turn waxy and pale. If it wasn't for all the blood Link could have thought that she was sleeping but he knew better. She exhaled quietly and never inhaled again.

She was dead.

"No." Ranado cried. Shaking his head.

Link could only shake his head. He refused to let go of her hand even though it had fallen limp. If he could he would squeeze the life back into her by just holding her hand. It was strange that something so full of life only minutes before could just disappear. She was there one minute and then she was gone.

Link turned around to talk to Ranado. They would have to find a place to bury her. He was about to speak when he saw the man's eyes go wide. "What is it, Ranado?" Link turned around to see what had made the mad so bewildered. Light poured from seemingly no where, dusting the room. Link could only stop, his eyes wide., he didn't even dare to breath. It was coming from Addie. Her wound began to stitch itself closed, flesh over lapping flesh, blood retreating from where it came. They knitted back together like someone weaving fabrics on a loom, sting by string. The room was bright, ancient magics swirling around in wispy smoke, filling the room with the strange scent of cleanliness.

The room was silent and then there was breath. Addie's breath., which was gone only a few moments before. She parted her lips as if breathing for the first time. Ranado stood stupefied starring at the girl, eyes wide. Ranado felt her forehead. She was no longer warm, her fever had broken. He slumped against the chair, panting, sweat beading down himself, soaking his heavy clothes. Link could only stare. She was alive.

There was an urgent patter of feet against the wooden floor. It was Shad thundering down the stairs. "What was that?" He asked, gasping. "I saw a bright light."

Ranado froze and turned to Link. How could they tell him that Adelyn had died and then miraculously come back from the dead. They couldn't tell him. That much Ranado knew. Not like he would believe them anyway. then said. "It was nothing." Ranado stated. "I only the fire Perhaps that's what you saw?"

"I could have sworn-" Shad said, Dazed.

Addie stirred in her bed, a painful grown escaping her lips.

"Addie!" Shad said urgently, moving towards her side. Link slowly walked backwards, head down, slipping away. He couldn't believe it. He felt cold and numb, not sure what to think.

"Perhaps you should let her sleep." Ranado said. "You can talk to her in the morning."

"Of course." Shad muttered. He turned to leave the room, but looked back for a second scanning Addie. He turned back around, shaking his head.

Link waited for Shad to climb the wooden stairs before he spoke to the intimidating man in front of him. He breathed out, shaking his head for what seemed like the fiftieth time that day. "What the hell was that?"

Thump, Thump, Thump, went Ranado's heart. "I'm not sure."

"I know magic when I see it." Link said.

"How could you know what magic looks like?"

Link laughed, loud. "I've seen a thing or two on my way here." It was a cold laugh. Not filled with any happiness but considering what had just happened it wasn't at all surprising.

For some reason Ranado was sure that Link had seen a thing or two on his way here. The way Link said this wasn't in boast like some people would think. Instead, it was almost melancholy, not jovial like Link pretended it was. In that moment Ranado realized Link had gone through so much more to find those kids that he had originally stated. Perhaps, Link knew more about what was going on than he said.

Ranado ran his next words together, conflicted, confused."If it was magic, and I'm saying, if now. You would keep it a secret wouldn't you? No one can know what happened here tonight. That kind of magic should never be used. I don't understand. I did a simple healing spell but that could never have the affects of bringing back the dead. What is dead cannot be brought back. "

"Of course Ranado." Link reassured him, a hand on his shoulder. "I won't tell anyone. I wouldn't even know what to say."

Ranado smiled lightly at Link, exhaling. "We did all we could." He poured water from a basin and washed the blood from his hands vigorously. His hands had been caked in blood from when he touched Addie's wound. He then took a cold wash cloth and patted the girls head with it.

"The rest was her." He confided. The two men watched Addie breath up and down, up and down, for what seemed like minutes, maybe even hours. Slowly, the girls color was returning to her. She no longer looked grey instead she looked pink and warm. Her breathing was finally even and not in slow spurts like it had been earlier.

Link sat on the chair next to the table. "I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of her yet." He smiled.

"Theres a lot of mystery surrounding that young thing." Ranado agreed. Ranado couldn't help but to think of the light. It was dissipated now but it was once so bright he had too squint. All tell-tale signs of it had disappeared. The only evidence was Addie's healed body.

She was a mystery to both Link and Ranado. If she really wasn't from Hyrule then where could she have come from? Neither of them were familiar with neighboring nations. Hyrule wasn't a country to meddle in other's affairs. They had too much on their own plate to worry about at any given moment.

Link was just as confused at the situation as Ranado was, but where Ranado was open with it and showed it like a mask on his face, Link was quiet and contemplative. Link had seen that light once before and it was when he was in the spirt spring talking to Farore. Maybe this girl has been blessed by the goddesses. As crazy as it was that seemed to be the only logical explanation. Link had seen crazy things, there was no denying that. This girl was just one mystery that he was determined to figure out for himself. "I'm sure we'll find out when the time is right." Link smiled.


	6. Chapter 6 LINK

_Hyrule Castle stood tall. Walls were mute, silent and deadly. Grey stone rose from the land, unapologetic, bold to defy entrance and protect what has been entrusted into it's care. Those tall spires held a secret that few knew and many sought to discover in their quest for the truth. Brick stacked against brick firm and neatly, locked and hidden, remembered and yet forgotten. All who came they're once fell down in awe at it's sight and now they fell to their deaths._

 _I stood in a wide expansive field that never ended. Animals made no sound and not even the grass moved and waved in the wind., Ahead of me was the castle in ruble with a dark cloud filled with reds and oranges hanging over. It's flags, which once blew proudly, resistantly, no longer waved on the top of tall spires. Instead, they sagged in the mud and crumpled in heaps._

 _It was not the same castle that I saw while crossing Hyrule field only days before. This castle was smaller and smoldering with flames that ravaged anything it touched. Animals were silent. The castle was more ancient than any bone left in the soil. The once smooth rock was pitted and scarred from the flames. In this hallowed and ancient site, the trees had seen the centuries blow past in the winds of each season and witnessed the folly of many struggles. Below, in uneven patches of grass, were arrowheads, swords, and broken pieces of armor mixed with fresh blood from people who were most likely dead. Hyrule castle stood small, now only a memory of great years passed._

 _I walked through the remnants of a city that once must have been great. The tell-tale signs were still there. Wagons and stands that were now in pieces were streets once were, a well still sat in a courtyard with buckets tied true and strong. The farther into the city the worse the sight was. Bodies were strewn in heaps radiating a smell that I was more than likely never to forget. Fires still raged uncontrollably destroying anything and everything in sight. Ahead of me was a wide central courtyard or town square with a fountain displayed unapologetically in the center._

 _SCCRAAAPPPEEE…_

 _SCCRAAAPPPEEE…_

 _I turned around abruptly. There was no one there. Only a broken doorway, half falling off of it's hinges, pounded against the frame hard and true. It was like a ghost town, however even ghosts would have been too scared to come there. It was not a place for the living or even the dead._

 _SCCRAAAPPPEEE…_

 _SCCRAAAPPPEEE…_

 _SCCRAAAPPPEEE…_

 _This time I jumped so high I could have jumped over the moon. Behind me, where there had once been nothing but the remnants of broken courtyard was a wolf. The wolf had seen better days. His fur was thin and his clung to his frame like a windbreaker in a gale. Even from several yards away I could count his ribs. His movements were faltering as if each step pained him and his head was sunk low to the ground. Those hazel eyes that should be scanning for danger or opportunities to eat never rose from the streets._

 _But right in front of my eyes. The wolf changed from a sad beast into a wolf twice its size. A string of curses unraveled from my tongue, like yarn unfurling, as the creature advanced. It's darkened fur shimmered with hot anger along with it's bright blue, cold eyes. Every step it took rattled my bones and struck my heart. I tried to dodge a swing from it's massive claws, but it struck my side and I tumbled into the dirt. I could hear nothing, all was silenced. All I could do is feel. Feel the cold ground pressed against my form, the heat from the pain, and the drum of my quickening heart._

 _Just when I though I was about to die the sad and decrepit wolf stood in front of me, no longer the menacing beast that was there moments before. It slowly licked my side and I could feel the wet young slowly start to heel my wounds. Flesh overlapped flesh and where there had once been a giant bloody gash was now only smooth skin. The world walked away slowly, its head was down as if to say sorry. It soon disappeared and I was left all alone in the small courtyard._

 _SCCRAAAPPPEEE…._

 _Maybe the wolf was back, I thought. Maybe that dark beast had returned to finish it job but as thrust my self off of the ground with a grunt and looked behind me, there was a man. The man kicked a rock, his head shook violently and small tears pooled down his face. He picked up a nearby doll that at one time must have belonged to someone. It's hair was singed and it's dress was full of ashes. He brought it close to his body and held it so tight his knuckles began to turn white. "Why?" Was all he could say. He placed the doll back down and turned away._

 _Behind him, a women appeared. She was pale with dark brown hair, Beautiful and very pregnant. "Are you alright?"_

 _"_ _I'm fine…" He shook his head and placed a hand in hers and starred down at it. "So many Lives were destroyed here. I only wish we could have stopped this."_

 _"_ _We did everything that we could." She pulled his hand up to her chest. "No one could have foreseen this. Not even you Teinas, as much as you wish you could."_

 _He shook his head and pulled away from her. "I could have stopped it. If I had just given Vello what he wanted none of this would have happened."_

 _She cut him off abruptly, her voice loud with passion. "If you had given him what he wanted everyone in this kingdom would be dead. Everyone. You did the only thing that you could have done. You gave everyone what they most needed."_

 _"_ _What is that?" He asked quietly._

 _"_ _Hope."_

 _They were both quiet for several, neither seemed to want to break the odd feeling of peace that surrounded them. The man smiled at the pregnant women and took back her hand. She mused her next words hushed. "It will be alright. We'll rebuild. A new dawn will come to Hyrule through this." She laughed quietly to himself. " Fortune will always favor the brave."_

 _He smiled wirily at her. "I can never understand how your alway so optimistic, Raen. But, I believe you. Hyrule will overcome this. Out of these ashes a new day will come. They will curse the day they ever thought about attacking us. It's not like it could get much worse." His eyes looked at the carnage around them._

 _Coming out from behind a building a young man appeared in his early twenties. He was rough and bloodied, his body streaked with blood and grime. "RAEN!" He screamed and flung himself into the women's arms "Your alive? I can't believe it! I thought you had died when Veillo attacked the throne room."_

 _"_ _Oh Brother!" She exclaimed. "I thought you had died as well." She laughed and shed tears. She hurried her face into the nook of his neck and just cried. The two separated and the man threw himself into Teinas's arms with just as much vigor._

 _"_ _It's good to see you alive friend." Teinas smiled at the man, wide and toothy._

 _The trio of friends sat down on the ledge of the broken fountain and where silent. It was a content kind of peace. No one wanted to speak. They were remembering just what had brought them to this day. "After all of this, I think I'm gonna' settle down, maybe have a kid."_

 _Teinas laughed abruptly, "You sure about that Rusl? You don't seem to be the fatherly type."_

 _"I'll have ya' know, I'm great with children." He retorted. "But honestly, I'm tired of this life. I'm gonna' settle down, somewhere in the Ordana Province I think. I'll have children and a wife. Everything will be calm. Just like I've always wanted."_

 _Rusl…I couldn't believe it. The man was Rusl._

 _"I'll miss you Rusl," Teinas said, "Your a great soldier, but an even better friend. The world could use more people like you."_

 _"Your an even greater brother." I heard Raen say, surprising me. I realized then that she was the owner of my legendary sword. From what Rusl had said about her I could only assume that she was dead or gone far far away._

 _The three friends looked at the castle in sadness, their eyes filled with a melancholy only few people have ever felt. It was sad and bittersweet, yet it held the promise and hope of the nation. They looked ready for the world by storm and start new lives which would be better than the last._

 _Teinas brought Raen into a tight embrace, and then kissed her head. "We'll make the world better for our child. We have to. I won't have it live in fear, like we had to when we were young. "It will grow up happy with out any care. Goddesses curse the man who tries to lay a hand on my son."_

 _Rusl smiled at them. "Our children will have the futures that we could never have."_

 _Raen laughed up at the father of her child. "And how do you know it's going to be a son? Hmm? I have it on full authority that it's gonna be a baby girl. A mother knows these kind of things Teinas._

 _"Oh, I hope it's a boy." He said, his eyes gleaming unapologetically. "I want to teach him how to fight and be strong. Not just wear pretty dresses."_

 _The woman's eyes grew bright with fury. "Teinas." She warned the man, "Say that again and I'll hang you up from the rafters by one of my pretty dresses. Let's see what you think of them then, Hmmm?"_

 _He held up his hands in defeat. "You're right. Whether we have a son or daughter I'm sure they'll be everything like their mother. They will be strong and fierce, unstoppable."_

 _"_ _I hope out child will live in a far better world than the one that we made for it."_

 _The Image of the warriors disappeared into a cloud of mist. Soon, I was no longer in the ruins of Castle Town. Instead, I was in what looked like a small cabin. I saw a boy, He was blonde dressed in a familiar green garb that I couldn't place. He sat in a small cozy living room with a roaring fire in front of him. A heated ceramic mug of milk sat steaming in-between his hands, clutched together for warmth. I assumed he must have been some descendent of Link because of the strange likeness he had to him or maybe it was Link. I wasn't sure. Maybe I was seeing some strange version of him in the past._

 _A young women with red hair came to sit next to the man with a cup of milk also in her hand. She placed a reassuring arm on the mans back and sighed loudly. "It's alright. I'm sure you'll find some way back eventually."_

 _He nudged her arm away and looked down at mug. Tears were starting to form in his eyes but he closed his eyes tightly in some attempt to make them wash away. "It's been almost a year now. I doubt that will ever happen. I wasn't ever meant to have a home, Cremia. My only purpose is to save kingdoms from war. I did my job and the universe doesn't care how it effected me. I was an ends to a means."_

 _"I'm sure thats not true Link." Her eyes were wide. "These Goddesses can't expect you to sacrifice ya' life to them forever."_

 _He shrugged at her. "They don't have to. I can't watch people suffer. They know that." He sat the mug down with a clink. "But it's all come at a terrible price. There are so many people that I will never see again. My family and friends are all but mere memories now and they seem to be fading everyday."_

 _"_ _You'll never forget them, Not really. You won't forget the things that count." She reassured him._

 _He shook his head and starred down at the wooden table, tracing the lines and crevices with his free hand. He spoke absentmindedly, as if everything was as it was and nothing not even a Goddess could change his fate. "Sometimes, I can't even remember what they look like or smelled, or the silly things they would laugh at. One day, I'm afraid I might forget them completely. Not many people will even know to remember me. The children of the forest will think I had altogether disappeared. No one else will come to find me."_

 _"_ _What about your friend, The princess?"_

 _He sighed "To her, I'm only some boy who warned her of the future. She didn't remember all those years in the future. She gave me her ocarina but It was only a thank you to a stranger."_

 _Cremia shook her mane of red hair quickly. Tendrils spilled all around her in a mess. "I'm not sure she would have given something like that to a stranger."_

 _"_ _No…But she wold give it to the hero of time."_

 _"_ _If it's alright to ask." She said hesitantly. "What where your adventures like?"_

 _"_ _They weren't adventures. They were hell. When I came back from the future everyone saw me as a child and I was. I had done so many things and yet I was treated like a child. No child has seen what I have. I've seen so many things, Cremia, Things that are hard to imagine. When your soul stares into the mind of the most evil thing itself its hard not to have gotten burned."_

She put her hand in his and looked up at him. Her eyes were wide, full of sadness. _"I'm so sorry Link… But, Thank You, for everything."_

 _"_ _I don't think anyone has said that to me."_

 _Cremia looked taken a back. It was like she couldn't comprehend that no one would ever know the his deeds. He deserved medals and jewels, he didn't deserve this terrible feeling of longing and pain. It wasn't fair._

 _Cremia sighed, putting her milky white hands on his own. "One day, maybe not for thousands of years, people will sing songs of your heroism. Mothers will raise their sons to look up to the legendary hero of time and girls will long for a hero like you to take them away for their troubles. People may not realize what you've done for them now, but your type of story will last longer than the daily gossip of people who are far less great than you."_

 _The boy smiled at her. It seemed sad. There was tinkle in his eye and a tear forming. "I don't want to be remembered Cremia. I just want to be the ordinary boy from the forest whose only worry was not having a fairy. Those days seem like a lifetime ago."_

 _The boy and Cremia's voices started to fade out, they seemed farther and farther away as every second past. I hoped that I would wake from whatever dream this was soon. I wasn't in the mood to hear people complain about their problems when I already had so much going on._

I was first aware of the creaking: back and forth, back and forth. The persistent sound made me open my eyes and stare at the underside of a thatched roof. My memories of my dreams had already started to slip away. A rough blanket was draped over me, concealing my body. Lifting the blanket, I saw that someone had bandaged my legs and chest and tied a clean rag around my hands that had red blisters caked on the skin.

I was in a small room which branched off into a hallway. A mortar and pestle sat on a table with bowls and plants. Rows of dried herbs hung from the walls and suffused the air with strong, earthy aromas. Flames writhed inside a dark grey shale fireplace, before which sat a blonde man in a wicker rocking chair—the boy who had helped me, I didn't know his name. His head lolled, eyes closed. A leather bound book lay open haphazardly in his lap.

Though I felt drained of willpower, I made myself sit up. That helped to clear my mind. I sifted through my memories of the last two days. My first thought was of Home, It had been a dream hadn't it? I was now safe in my bed, my mother would soon wake me up, yelling at me to get ready for school. My second was of Shad. I didn't think my imagination could have made him up. He was real and He must have been scared. He wasn't someone who could easily hide his emotions. I had been shot, I realized. Quickly, I checked my chest and leg. There was no wound, not even a scratch. Maybe I had dreamed it all. I would have believed it too, if it wasn't for the boy in the corner and the fact that I wasn't in my own bed.

The boy that sat at my bedside stirred and opened his sparkling blue eyes, squinting, getting used to the light. His eyes found mine. "Oh," He said. "You're awake. Good!" His voice was rich and warm. "How do you feel?" I lay back down, my head starting to hurt.

"Like I got hit by a truck," I said, clutching my head and shaking it.

The boys eyebrow furrowed. "What's a truck?"

""Oh...Um..." I said, not exactly what to say. I had forgotten for a moment where I was. Wait, Did they have trucks here? Would I be forced to travel either by horse or foot for the rest of my life? Great. I guessed I would have to get used to a sore body. "... it's a type of... wagon...Yeah..a wagon." He looked puzzled, a small smirk creeping up, shaking his head.

"Where am I?" I said, trying to sit up, changing the subject. I regretted it soon after, my head ached and pounded against my skull.

"Not until you eat," He said sharply, pushing me back down abruptly. "I didn't spend all this time sitting by your side so you can get back up and hurt yourself again. You're in Kakariko..." My mind froze for a second. "You were shot by a Bulbin in your leg and chest, making you loose a lot of blood." I nodded. "You're fever broke only last night. If it wasn't for Ranado you would probably be dead. And don't worry yourself about Shad either. He's fine. A little emotional...but he's fine." I could have sworn The boy almost laughed when he mentioned Shad.

"You were the one who came to help me?" I asked him, and eyebrow raised.

The boy smiled."I was. My names Link." Link. Why did that name sound so familiar to me? I had heard it before. Hadn't I? I could have sworn that was the name I heard in my dream. Maybe, I was just confused. A lot of things confused me at that time for obvious reasons.

I blinked at him. "Addie..." I looked around. The light streaming from the window meant that it must have been morning. "How long have I been asleep?"

"Two days." Link said, Grimacing.

"Two? It felt like two hours."

"Well, I guess that's understandable considering there was an arrow through your back." He laughed.

An arrow went through my back? How come I didn't feel anything? I pulled down my shirt lightly to were it must have hit. There wasn't even a scar to tell the story of the attack. "How am I not dead? That's impossible." I wasn't an expert in the medical field, but I knew that was irrational. Someone didn't easily survive an arrow in the back and walk away without a scar.

He paused before he spoke, as if contemplating his next words. "You can thank Ranado for that. He's quite the talented..." He broke off. "...Healer."

I nodded, not quite sure why he had gotten a little weird. That was when I realized I did recognize him. He was the boy from the picture Rusl had. He was older now but it was definitely him. "I recognize you. You're from Ordon. Rusl had a picture."

"That picture was drawn a long time ago. I had almost forgotten about it." He smiled and I couldn't help but to return it.

"Addie!" Shad yelled bounding from the doorway

"...Shad!"

"I'll leave you two." Link backed away slowly, turning to leave, a frown on his face.

"You can stay." I told him. He faced me and stood uncomfortably at the doorway.

"How are you feeling?" Shad asked, Pulling up a chair next to me.

"Like I got run over by a truck." I said smirking. Links eyes gleamed, a laugh threatening to escape him.

Shad furrowed his eyebrows. "What's a truck?"

"Oh?" I laughed. "It's nothing. Nothing." Shad opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it when a tall man with long hair came into the room, a young girl following behind him on his heels.

"It's good to see you awake." He said rather stoically. "I'm Ranado and this is my daughter Luda. " The small girl stood next to her father and nodded slightly at me.

"I've been told that you're the one who made sure I didn't die." I said, thankfully. "I don't know how I can repay you."

"Well," He said with a small chuckle. "There is no reason to repay me. I heal people for a living."

"Thank you anyways." I told him and smiled. It seemed I kept having to owe people. First, it was Rusl when he found me in the woods and gave me a place to say. Next, it was Shad teaching me how to read and helping me get thought the long travel to Kakariko. Then, it was Link and him helping me with those monsters and now finally my circle of debt grew bigger with Ranado saving my life.

"Why don't I get you something to eat? Hmmm?" Shad stated, turning away towards the door. I hoped it wasn't anymore pumpkin. I ate enough pumpkin bread for the journey there.

"Sounds brilliant."

Link made his way towards me. "Do you feel like you can stand? I'll take you too the kitchen."

I nodded. "I can try."

"Take my arm." I took Link's arm that he held outreached for me. His comforting hand held my back, delaying my legs from collapsing under me. His arms were strong and firm underneath all of the clothes he wore.

He pushed the door open. Outside a spacious room was warm and well lit by a fire snapping in a stone fireplace. A bare counter stretched across the far side of the room. Shad hovered over a pot on it that thankfully looked nothing like pumpkins. The floor was strewn with loose straw. Everything was scrupulously clean, as if the owner spent his leisure time digging in obscure crannies for minuscule pieces of filth. A lantern flickered on a wood table so old that the grain stood up in tiny ridges like a giant fingerprint. Near a wood stove were rows of cooking utensils tacked onto the wall with homemade nails. A second door opened to the rest of the house. The floor was made of boards, although still covered in straw, polishes smooth by years of tramping feet.

"Link? Why doesn't it hurt? I looked and there's not even a scar." Slightly whispering before we entered the room.

"Renado is gifted."

"...But its only been two days?"

"...He's really gifted…"

"...Umhm." I said with my eyebrow raised. I wasn't buying it. A wound like I had didn't just heal in a matter of days. A matter of weeks maybe, but it would have left some kind of scar or mark. For the first time I began to question everything around me. I was in a strange world that may or may not have had magic.

Magic, I realized, was the only possible way I could have gotten here and the only way I could have been healed, despite how impossible that was. I was in a strange world were the laws of physics may not even exist. Could it have been so strange to say that magic was real? It went against everything that I had ever believed. I was always the scientist who loved to explore in the mud and figure out things rationally. I loved logic puzzles and books. Now, it was like I was in a book, a wild fantasy where heroes and villains liked to spin their lies, face their battles, and overcome all odds. I had been ripped from my once peaceful life and pulled into a world were anything and everything might have been possible.

"Let me help." Shad said, putting a bowl down on the counter.

"Thanks Shad." I said, smiling, Grabbing his right arm. They two boys led me to a small rocking chair in the corner that looked like it had seen better days. The chair was comfier than I had imagined it would be, probably due to the years of people sitting in it.

"I'll go get that soup." Shad said, heading to the counter.

"Thank you." I smiled after him.

He brought me back a bowl of stew, well, I assumed it was a stew, it looked, well, chunky. He smiled at me as I brought the strange looking liquid to my lips. I almost choked at the awful taste. It tasted like someone had dropped an entire container of salt and butter in it. Shad wasn't a cook. "Mmm. This is good..." I lied to him, my face trying not grimace.

"Really?" He asked, his face stretching out in a smile.

"Yeah." I said with a high pitched voice.

"Shad? Can I speak to you?" Ranado said, coming into the room. Shad nodded and left the room, a smile still on his face.

"I can make you something else if you'd like." Link said, laughing, his eyes glistening. "I had to try his unfortunate cooking yesterday."

"Could you?" I almost begged the boy. "I don't want to inconvenience you."

He nodded. "Of course. It won't take long." He turned around the kitchen and started his task.

While Link was cooking, I sat complacent, my mind wandering towards many different things. In that moment I had finally accepted that my present situation was real. I wasn't dreaming. You couldn't be shot in a dream, you couldn't taste food or see in color in a dream. I had met real people, as real as anyone I had met on earth. They had thoughts. They cooked bad food and saved people. They talked, laughed, and cried. They existed somehow, just like me and just like Katie, Eddie, and Scott.

Katie, Eddie, Scott, Carmen, Mom, Dad, and Mr. Moyer. What had happened to them? They were probably at school, confused to why I was gone. People probably had candle light vigils praying for my safe return. My parent probably spoke on the news begging for some stranger to let me go. It had been weeks, though. It would be assumed by now that I was dead. Maybe I was dead. Just like when Diamond froze to death from the mist.

As my consciousness ebbed, my mind went into a free fall, drifting out and into unconsciousness. When my thoughts became nonsense, and all the more interesting for it, I knew I was falling asleep. Now all I had to do was let go. Instead of letting go, I drifted into consciousness. And then back out. The world was a blur, and random images seemed to float aimlessly around in the pool of my thoughts, as though they were being blown about viciously by a hurricane. A tap on my shoulder momentarily brought me back to the outside world, but after a second I was once again lost. I could feel somebody trying to look at me, staring dead in the eye, but I couldn't keep focused. The whole world simply felt low resolution, a bad quality movie. Confusion blossomed in my heart and I knew that sooner or later I would need to wake up. To stare reality in the face. But for now I lay down my heavy head, and retreated into wallowing blackness. Somewhere In the darkness I could hear voices, a man and a woman. The woman's voice was high pitched and she giggled whenever she spoke.

"You're smiling." She squeaked to the man.

"Shut up. No I'm not." He snapped at her.

"You can't get distracted." She said her voice grim and not as jovial as it was before.

He paused, his voice rigid. "I won't." He let out a deep breath.

The woman's voice was low, and grisly. "If your sure..." She faded off. Their conversation waned until the woman's voice said. "There's something off about her."

"Yeah. I can sense that too." He broke off and didn't talk for what seemed like minutes. " Shad told me some things yesterday that just don't add up And with what happened after her injuries."

"Maybe we should ask her, hmm?" She said, her voice wavering.

"And, how would I do that? The poor girl can't even stand on her own. She was only awake less than ten minutes before she fell back to sleep."

Her voice was dark, hidden with malice "Well, whoever she is, She won't be able to hide the truth for long, will she? We'll find out eventually."

Link shook his head. "I should wake her up. She needs to eat. Go back." He almost commanded

"Ughhh." She growled at him. "We should leave it's tiresome to hide all the time."

Link eyes threw darts at her. "I just got here. I can't leave yet."

She exhaled, loudly. "Were running out of time, Link. I think you should talk to her as soon as possible. The sooner you talk to her the sooner we can leave." He nodded.

"Adelyn?" The man's voice said, it was Links.

"Hmm?"

"Come on, you need to eat." I sat up thinking about what I just heard or thought I heard. Who was this woman? Was it Luda? I was sure she didn't sound like that, but maybe I was wrong. They were suspicious of me though, that much I could hear.

Link held out a wooden platter towards me. There was a piece of warm bread with a slab of melting yellow butter and a thick, hearty slice of roasted pork. I felt no need for pretentious manners and grabbed the pork, ripping a chunk off with my teeth. Link simply chuckled. "I guess you were hungry."

I brought the fresh, warm bread to my nose, inhaling deeply. It smelled rich, promising a delightful taste. Picking up a knife Link had placed on the platter, I applied copious amounts of thick, creamy yellow butter. She spooned out a dollop of something that looked like some kind of Jam. I slathered the sweet looking mixture onto the spongy white bread and ripped off a chunk, stuffing the piece into my mouth. It was soft and warm, freshly baked only hours before. The pleasant smoothness of the butter blended perfectly with the bitter-sweet taste of what I discovered was in fact Jam.

"Does that taste better?" Link asked, a smile on his face. I nodded, bread still in my mouth. "There's always more if you want some." His face fell suddenly, ashen. "Adelyn?" I looked up at his serious face. He opened his mouth to say something but ended up only shaking his head. "Never mind. Once you finish eating you should try to go back to sleep and maybe try to walk a little but after that."

"Do or do not; there is no try."

Link looked and me confused. "Sorry."

I shook my head. I must have been more tired than I thought if I started spurting out Star Wars quotes at him. "I think I should go back to sleep."

Link grabbed my arm and led me back to the small rickety bed. It was only then I realized that one of legs was missing. Books were instead used to support the end.

Link seeing my eyes flash to them, chortled. "It's safe. I promise."

I nodded to him and let him put be on the bed. "Goodnight." I muttered.

"Goodnight." He softly responded.

In seconds I was resting back in the arms of oblivion.


	7. Chapter 7 COLIN

Slowly and reluctantly, I uncovered the blanket that had found itself over my face somewhere in the night. I blinked, closed my eyes, and blinked again. Streaks of sunlight penetrated the window and blinded me. I sat up, dragged my feet off the bed, and rubbed my knuckles onto my eyes. I stretched my arms above my head and yawned. I watched my legs dangle above the uneven wood floor.

I forced myself up from the bed down the creaky wooden stairs. There Link was on his knees tending to a dying fire in the hearth. He didn't see me and I didn't make a sound, instead I was lost in deep thought of my dreams. I exhaled loudly, alerting Link to my presence behind him.

He turned around and smiled warily when he saw me. "Your finally up."

I sighed loud enough that Link could hear across the room. "I feel like I've been kicked by horse. But I feel much better than I did yesterday. " Link grimaced at that "…No…" I corrected myself " Like I've been run over by a whole stampede of horses…Like Mufasa." I couldn't remember the last time that I had woken up not sore and tired. Sleeping in used to be a monthly occurrence for me. But since the moment I had arrived in Hyrule I would be lucky enough to get a few hours of sleep.

Link raised an eyebrow, he seemed to do that whenever I talked to him. "I'm sorry? Who?"

I laughed, shaking off my exhaustion. "Oh never mind… It's an inside joke…" I kept forgetting that I was in a different world and Link had no idea what I was talking about. Lion king jokes aside, I longed to talk about simple things like movies and TV shows.

"I'm glad you feel better."

I grimaced. Something wasn't right. I actually felt too good. There was no reason for me to feel this way. If I was shot only days ago I should feel some kind of pain but I actually felt like I could run a whole marathon with energy left to spare.

"Ranado is a good man and you can stay here as long as you like. You have a home here if you want it…" Link said interrupting my train of thought.

Home? Was this going to be my new home? I ached so much to see my friends and even do homework. Would I ever be able to make a home here when all I seemed to do was long for some place else? Leaving home is so hard, there is always so many memories, and now all of them balled up in my chest. Link continued on speaking. I missed half of what he was saying, zoning out into my thought of my parents. "I'm sure Shad won't mind either."

My eyes grew wide. What? I picked up a pillow from the chair and threw it harshly at him. Blushing would have been no problem, but what I did was go as red as a beetroot and radiate heat like a hot pan. You could have cooked a three course meal on my face. No-one could have missed it. My pale skin always seemed to go blood red at every second even if I wasn't embarrassed. "Oh shut up. Were just friends." I started giggling.

Link laughed loudly and picked up the pillow from where I had justly attacked him. "Does he know that? He seems down right protective over you, if ya' don't mind me sayin' so."

"The last thing on my mind right now is a relationship." I said, rolling my eyes.

Link put the pillow down into a basket on floor, piled high to the brim with other sorts of blankets and pillows. "Shad is the right sort of person if you can look past his obsession with… Sky people?"

"So, Shad has accosted you with his theories, has he?"

He grimaced, his eyes misty, as if thinking of the long minutes that Shad had most likely forced him to endure. "On more than one occasion."

"You'll get used to it eventually. I promise."

"I'l hold ya' to it."

Link froze for a second and then a goofy smile appeared on his face. "Are you sure your feeling alright? Its only been three days."

I nodded, "I'm not sure how, but I feel Incredible. I feel better rested than I have in weeks. I'm not sure how."

"It's probably just all that sleep." Link looked around. "Want some coffee?"

"Yes, please. I haven't had any in so long."

Link went over to the fire and grabbed a kettle that had been hanging over head with a thick cloth. He set the kettle on the table and went and grabbed two mugs from the cupboard. He poured the coffee, steam going everywhere.

I pushed the mug towards be and I eagerly grabbed it. Up until this point I didn't even know that Hyrule had Coffee. I had been obsessed with it at home. It was good to know that somethings, not matter what world you are in, never change.

It was stronger than the coffee I was used to and was quite a but sweeter than the coffee I usually had at home but it was still just as good.

"You seemed to handle yourself out there." Link observed, taking a large sip from the piping hot mug.

I nodded, "Over the past few weeks I've trained a lot with Shad. That's all we did to pass the time."

"I see, so it was a long journey here?"

"Extremely."

We grew into silence enjoying the peace that a morning cup of coffee could bring.

Link sighed, "Would you mind sparring with me? I'd like to see where your skills are at. Only if your up to it, of course."

I considered it, "Why not. It's not like I'm gonna die from over exerting myself."

Link stopped walking for a second but then the smile returned to his face just as quickly as it left. He held the door open for me. "It's not your fault. You just seem to have really bad luck. Come on."

He led me outside to the middle of the town square. It was still dark out and the light from the sunrise had yet to streak across the horizon. It was peaceful yet, almost forboding.

Link picked up a sword that leaned against the nearest building. "Here take this. It's wooden. I'm not in the mood to have my head accidentally cut off today." I weighed the sword in my right hand, slashing it delicately at the air with a novice-like apprehension. The handle of the wooden sword was bound with black leather, and the blade was short.

"I'll try not to hurt you." I joked to him.

Link only laughed at this. He got into position, his left arm extended with his sword. It was a strange form that shined with years of skill and practice. He was confident and unwavering in his position. Even more, he was more confident than Rusl, who I had sparred with before. Not giving me a second to prepare link thrust his sword at me, catching me off guard. I parried the thrust with a flick of my wrist, swinging the wooden sword faster than I had ever had to swing before. Link was fast and a better fighter than even Rusl was.

Link smiled, circling around me. He seemed to be teasing me. "That wasn't bad but be a little quicker next time. Always be thinking about five steps ahead." He grunted the last thing he said, almost taking my head off with his sword if I hadn't ducked.

"How did you get so good at this?" I asked him while side stepping another one of his strikes.

His face grimaced but then went back to it's smile so quick I almost missed it. "Someone taught me."

I swung my sword under his legs but he jumped quickly and rolled underneath my feet, tripping me hard on the ground. "Well whoever you teacher is I would love to meet him." I said from my sprawled out position on the dirt.

He outstretched his arm down to help me back up. "Maybe you will one day Adelyn, but until then you got me. Come on. Lets keep going."

For the next hour and a half Link and I did nothing but swing and jab our swords at each other. Sweat dripped down my back and arms in thick droplets, drenching me from head to toe. I couldn't believe that after being shot I could fight Link with such ease but here I was feeling better than I had in weeks.

Link outmatched me, that much was obvious. He won every single fight. Every time I tried to get the better of him he was five steps ahead of me. It made me wonder how a simple farmhand could be so good at something that takes most people years to learn. Maybe he had learned from Rusl but even Rusl wasn't that good. Link fought with sheer confidence. He trusted every single step as if he were an expert or being controlled be someone else. It was the kind of confidence that came from years and years of experience.

It reminded me of some soldiers I had met when I was younger. They were always smiling but underneath their confidence was this type of sadness. Their eyes where darker and distant as if the entire world was on their shoulders. Link had the same look

"Come on." Link said, walking back. "I think it's time we gave it a rest, huh?"

I nodded and followed Link to the nearby spring at the entrance. He cupped his hands and drank the water. I followed suit. It was refreshing.

Abruptly, My mind drifted to my home. For knowing Link for such a short time I could see a friendship blooming. It made me miss my friends all the more. But, this was my new normal. I would have to make friends if I was to survive this pace I had found myself in.

I was never going to go home. Shakespeare once said that "parting is such sweet sorrow" in his classic Romeo and Juliet. Obviously, He had never found himself in this situation or he might have known that parting was actually a hurricane of emotions that slammed against you like a truck crashing into a small PT Cruiser on a highway. Parting, was my oblivion. It was a Black hole that threatened to pull me into its never ending darkness. I knew this wasn't the type of parting that Shakespeare was talking about but, nevertheless, I still felt it.

Months ago I had imagined leaving home as any high school student does - mother in tears and my father being stoic. I would pack a small car with oddly shaped bags and suitcases and head to college and face all that the world could throw at me. That was the type of parting that Shakespeare was talking about. It was filled with happy tears and an odd sense of hope. Maybe that's the way it would have been had I not been taken from my home abruptly. I'll never know.

Link and I went inside the building to find Ranado. Once we got inside Ranado was cooking in the kitchen for a group of children eating at a table. Two boys sat on one side of the table while 2 girls sat on the other. One of the boys kept trying to steal the younger boys food to no avail. The oldest girl only rolled her eyes at the boy and continued to eat or food with an amount of grace that no one her age should have.

The blonde boy was the first to notice us. His eyes grew wide as he bounded from his chair and threw himself into Link's arms in a wild frenzy. "Link!" He shouted, his arms tightly woven around Link's stomach. "Good morning!"

Link pried the young boy off of his body. "Why are you so excited, hmm?"

Colin grew sad, "I just don't want you to ever leave us again."

Link stooped to the boys height, running his hand through the boys blonde hair. "I can't say that I won't have to leave, Colin. But, you won't have to worry. You have wonderful people here to protect you. Ranado, Talo, and Beth. They won't leave you. You'll be okay."

For some reason that didn't reassure the boy as he burst into tears. I knelt next to Link, hoping that maybe I may be able to help, if not a little bit. Link smiled at me, nodding. "Colin? I'm Adelyn. Maybe I can help. What's wrong?"

The poor boy rubbed his knuckles over his eyes. It took him a moment to speak in-between his ragged breaths of air and crying. But when he did finally speak he spoke with a small voice that I almost didn't hear "…I want to go home…I want my father."

I brought the small boy into a hug. "Oh Colin. You'll get home soon, I know you will." In those seconds I understood the boy completely. I missed home more than anything. The thought was always there in the back of my mind. Whenever I was sparring with Shad I would always become distant in our breaks. But then, I would demand we continue training so that I could keep myself busy enough to not think of my home.

Colin pulled away from the tight embrace, looking me into the eye. "I'm not so sure, Miss Adelyn. All those monsters could hurt us. I'm afraid of them."

I shook my head at him. "Fear is a perfectly rational thing to feel Colin. Even the bravest of people are afraid. If I had a rupee for every time I was scared the past few weeks I would be loaded. " I ran my hand through the little boys hair, cupping is face. "That's what make them brave. I also know for a fact that you have a father who is looking every where for you. You'll see your family, Colin."

The small boy hugged me fiercely before saying, "I think that you'll get home to, Miss Adelyn"

"Thank you for saying that Colin." I nodded at him, even though I knew it was unlikely.

The whole time I could feel Link's eyes on the two of us and when Colin and parted Link pulled him into a long hug. The two boys hugged for several minutes not wanting to let the other go first. Colin pulled away, smiling brightly. In that moment I realized how alike those two boys actually were. They were both scared of having the people closest to them leave. But, instead of showing their sorrows and loneliness both boys put on a brave face for the people that they loved. It was admirable. It gave me hope that I would one day be reunited with the people that I was forced to leave.

"Addie! Link!" Shad charged into the room, interrupting the peaceful breakfast we had been having.

"Shad, What's wrong?" Link said, standing up in a strong stance, ready for anything.

Shad's eyes were wide, darting between us. "Bokoblins, at least twenty charged into the village!"

Link nodded at Shad, his jaw set in a firm line. Link looked positively ready for anything that might come at him. He turned to me. "Do you think you're strong enough to fight?" I nodded. I wasn't entirely sure but I wasn't about to let Link fight 20 Bokoblins by himself. "Good." He turned to Shad. "What about you? Can you handle a sword?"

"I can manage." Was all Shad said.

Link nodded at him and pulled out my bow, quiver of arrows and sword that was sitting in the corner. He handed them to me, our hands briefly touching as I grabbed them. He went into a closet and pulled out a sword, handing it to Shad. Link's eyes flashed for a second, remembering something important.

"Shad, I need you to make sure none of those monster make it inside. Your their last line of defense." Shad nodded. "Ranado," Link turned to the shaman. "I need you to go upstairs with the children and hide. Don't come out until we come back, okay?" He nodded and headed of the stairs with the children in tow.

I threw the quiver over my back and followed Link and Shad out of the building. Outside Bokoblins, probably more than twenty, stood by the large spring at the entrance of the village. Link rushed and jumped up on his horse that was tethered to the porch and I untied it for him. Shad similarly, jumped up on his own horse. I was looking up at Link when his strong arm reached down to me and lifted me onto Epona behind him. "I need you to shoot any Bokoblin that gets close to Shad. I don't want any of those things near that building." He looked at Shad, who had his sword drawn and nodded at him.

I prayed to whatever gods or goddesses that were out there that this wouldn't end like last time.

In that second the monsters finally saw us. "Go!" Link's scream echoed throughout the village. I notched an arrow, brought the string back to my cheek and released at a monster charging towards us.

The fight had officially begun.

I released arrows in rapid succession, but there always seemed to be more to take their place. Link stabbed and hacked at any monster that got too close to us and I released more and more arrows as quickly as possible.

There seemed to be no end in sight to monsters that were attacking us. Whenever I shot one there always seemed to be more to take it's place. I started to panic. I shouldn't have, but as more and more monsters came at me and Link the more I kept thinking of the arrow that had found its mark in my heart only days before.

What if I ran out of luck? Maybe being shot by that arrow was only the beginning of what I would have to face. I wasn't sure If I could take anymore. I was at my breaking point.

As green blood sprayed from all directions I felt myself losing speed. I was getting slower and I was running out of arrows. Soon I would have to trust the skills I had learned over my month of being in Hyrule and fight the monsters with my sword.

I had just released my last arrow. I threw the bow to the ground and quickly unsheathed Darendall. I looked up rapidly in front of me to Link to see how he was faring and saw his face set in a tight grimace. He was cool and collected, far more than I was.

I had to keep fighting. No matter how scared I was. No matter what my luck was. I had to keep going.

I jabbed down at a Bokoblin who had come too close. But just as I did the monster grabbed the sword, dragging me down with it.

"Adelyn!" I heard Link scream. He tried to grab my hand as I fell but he missed. The only thing he grabbed was the air around me. He tried to reach back down and grab me but there where to many monsters. He almost missed a sword being slashed at him.

The Bokoblin stood over me, it's face set in a gross leer. The monster was tall, thick, and broader than a doorway, with vile green skin and yellow piggish eyes. Muscles bulged on his arms and chest, which was covered by a too small breastplate. An iron cap rested over the pair of ram's horns curling from his temples, and a round shield was bound to one arm. His powerful hand held a short, wicked club that had nails and sticks perturbing out of it.

Behind me, I saw Link rein in his horse and start to race towards me, only to be stopped by the appearance of more Bokoblins. "Run, Addie! Run!" Link cried to me, cleaving at his enemy. The Monster in front of me roared and swung his sword mightily. I jerked back with a startled yelp as the weapon whistled past my cheek. I spun around and fled behind a building to get a breath of air, heart pounding wildly. My skin was sticky and red hot, covered with bruises and blood not all my own.

Just when I thought that the Bokoblin had forgotten about me, it rounded the corner pursuing me, heavy boots thudding against the dirt ground. With the Bokoblin almost upon me, I grabbed an arrow from the corpse of a nearby monster and jabbed it into his leg. The Bokoblin sneered at me. The arrow had done nothing. The monster collided with me before I could do anything.

I fell to the ground, landing hard on my back. Just ahead of me, I could see my sword on the ground where it had fallen when the monster pulled me from my horse. I grabbed it slashed at the monster, sending it's head flying.

I sprang back up to my feet, ignoring the dull throb that had started in my back and rushed back to Link, who was trading fierce blows with his opponent from Epona's chestnut back.

SMACK

I turned towards the sound and my eyes went wide. Epona reared, whinnying. Link doubled over in his saddle, blood streaming down his arm. The monster beside him howled in triumph and raised his ax for the death blow.

"Link!" I screamed at him, my eyes wide and frantic. I ran over to them, stabbing a monster on my way there.

The monster was about to slam his ax down when I did the only thing I could do. I threw my sword at it. Hoping it would make it's mark before the Ax slammed down on Link.

ZING

It hit the monster, spraying blood all over me.

"I'm fine," Link suddenly said, his face calm as he clutched his arm that was leaking crimson sticky blood. "You take care of those three." He pointed to a trio of monsters that were making their way to the building where the children were hiding in. I nodded and trudged after them.

I ran to my sword and thrusted it out of the monsters body.

A deafening scream tore out of me as I charged the trio of Bokoblins, headfirst. The Bokoblins paused in astonishment, then contemptuously the monster closest to me, swung his ax in a wide arc. I ducked under the rough two-handed blow and clawed the Bokoblins side, leaving bloody furrows of fresh torn flesh. The Bokoblin's face contorted with rage, it's face redder than its usual tint. He slashed again, but missed as I abruptly dived to the side and scrambled back up onto my feet. Singing, my swor took off the head of the monster behind it that had it's club raised.

I slipped into a narrow passageway between two houses, saw it was a dead end, and slid to a stop. I tried to back out, but the last monster had already blocked the entrance, it's fangs barred. It advanced, cursing at me in a gravelly voice. I swung my head from side to side, searching for a way out, but there were none.

I was trapped.


	8. Chapter 8 ZANT

BANG

BANG

BANG

The monster glowered at me, it't teeth barred in a grisly smile that showed rows of bloodied and sharp teeth that were ready for killing. It slammed it's ax against the ground like a motorcycle revving up to move. Again, the panic that I had once felt earlier began to slowly creep into me. This was it. I was going to die by the hands of a vile monster far away from the people that I loved and cherished.

I've seen darkness before, the kind that makes streets look like old fashioned photographs, everything a shade of grey. This wasn't like that. When the darkness appeared, all I could do was freeze. It was the darkness that robs you of your best sense and replaces it with a paralyzing fear. Even the Bokoblin that had moments ago been ready for the kill, started to slowly step backwards until it sprinted far away from the alley.

As a child I used to wake in the night and wish for the sun. The darkness worried me, my imagination supplied many beasts with fantastical jaws to lurk beyond the range of my vision. In the next few minutes the creatures that formed could only be described in the imaginations and nightmares of a child.

All around me, shadows began to form, thick and noir. I felt as if my lungs were slowly filling with water, as if there was less space in them for the air. Inflating them felt like pushing up a lead weight on my chest. Next, The cold moves in, only to meet the warmth of my blood. I feel it wash over my skin, again and again, only to be met by the beat of my heart, again and again.

That was when the monsters came and my began beating faster.

Three Inky monsters sauntered forwards on four black arms. With each slow movement that belied the speed they were capable of, black slime dripped, oozing great globs of phlegm and depositing them on rocky terrain below them.

The monsters had appeared out of no where. They fell from an opening in the sky that shouldn't have existed. Magic, This world was capable of so many things. Magic, it seemed was only a small fraction of what lied underneath the surface.

Soon, a man followed them. He wore a beady mask that appeared to have a tongue sticking out downwards from it's mouth. He approached slowly until he was mere feet away. I was frozen, completely dumbstruck. I was going to die.

The monster grabbed my wrist "Come with us." The thing spoke in a rasp. I gagged as the stench of death wafted over to me.

No, I refused to die. But, I couldn't move. I was completely frozen.

Over the weeks I had been running on pure adrenaline. But now it had run out and the only thing that was left was fear.

He continued to walk towards me. With each step, the ground burned beneath him, leaving only fire.

Fear

Fear

In those seconds, time seemed to stand still and so I did the only thing I could do. Fight.

Slamming my sword in a wide arc, the sword cut the monster closest to me, sending thick globs of purple blood flying.

The mans taurine eyes glittered with hostility. They were as wild and fearsome as the monsters I had read about in story books as a child, filled with malice. He threw me to the ground in a heap, towards the other shadow monsters. One of the monsters, grabbed my legs and started pulling with strong hands out of the alley. I grappled for anything, a rock or even dirt to stop the monster.

"Commmmeeee," the monster said. Although I had cut it with my sword it had done nothing but make the monster glower at me more. "Our master will reward us for your capture."

"Get off!" I landed a punch to clammy skin that froze me from fist to elbow. I let out a scream, my whole arm felt like it had frozen off. The shadow disappeared, and I suddenly, ridiculously grappled with air. A second later though, a band of ice closed about my neck and squeezed.

I couldn't breathe. Desperately, I kicked my legs. My boot connected, the other creature released me, and I was left wheezing and gasping, sprawled out on the ground. A screech shattered through the light as an unearthly head sailed past, courtesy of Link's sword. He started to run for me, but two more creatures darted out from behind a nearby house, blocking his path.

A flash of steel, a chilling screech, and one of the shadow creature dropped, headless. The town fell abruptly silent but for my and Link's harsh breaths. He swept me up from the ground and closed the distance between us, taking in the scratches on my neck. He lifted my chin, his fingers warm and cut.

"You're hurt." He simply stated, his voice gentle and soothing. His eyes locked with mine. They sparkled, filled with only concern and gentleness.

"How touching." A voice says from behind us. Both of us abruptly turn, pulling out our swords to see the man from earlier. "It seems," He turn to me. His voice filled with vile, as he spits out every syllable with a strange sophistication. "You don't quite understand what is happening, do you?"

"Who are you?" Link asked, his voice filled with as much venom as he can muster.

"Zant." A new voice said. I had to do a double take. Where there was once only a blank piece of earth stood a small woman who hovered above the ground. She looked like darkness but strangely she also radiated light. "Why are you here?"

So, that was the woman I had heard talking to Link earlier. It wasn't a dream. As time went by it was a struggle to remember what was real and what was dream. Half of the time it felt like home in Michigan had been the dream and life in Hyrule was the new normal.

"Now, Now, Midna," His voice said, "Patience is a virtue, Yes?" Midna Growled. "No?" He tilted his head "Well, I guess I should be on my way then."

"I think that would be a good idea." Link said. His knuckle seemed to turn white from how hard he was squeezing his sword at his side. He looked absolutely terrifying in this moment. God protect the person or creature who ever got on the wrong side of him.

"Well, Well, Well." The man slurred. "If it isn't our little hero, trying to save the day... How…Pathetic."

Link lurched forward. "Link, Don't." I held him back before he could do anything stupid. I wasn't about to let him die for his own stupidity. I heard his breath even out as he calmed down.

"Ahhah..." The man turned to me, taking a few steps forward. "Child of the Mist." His voice hissed like a dancing snake being controlled by music from a flute. Did he know? How could he possibly know about the mist? And if he knew about the mist, did that mean he knew that I wasn't from Hyrule? There were too many questions that where left unanswered. I would have settled for just one answer to be told to me.

Midna's eyes narrowed at me, scanning me. "The mist? What is he talking about?"

I shook my head. Now was not the time to talk about this. I wasn't about to spill all of my life secrets like some cheesy villain while we were in the middle of a life threatening situation. That was just asking to die in some painful way. There were other things that we had to worry about.

"Sooo," He said slithering his words, "She hasn't told you yet. I can't say I'm surprised. Why would she tell you when she doesn't even know herself."

Link starred after me, obviously confused. I shook my head at him and turned to face the man called Zant. "I don't know who you are or what you think you know about me but this ends now."

Zant's voice was low and he chuckled. "This doesn't have a happy ending for you Adelyn. I thought you where paying attention." He moved towards me, his clothes billowing behind him. "You're coming with me."

"What?" I screeched, my eyes wide. There was no way in hell I was going to let that thing take me anywhere. Some strange force had already taken me from my home already, I wasn't about to leave Kakariko against my will. If it was a fight Zant was looking for then it was a fight he was going to get.

Link jumped up from where he had been sitting on the ground. "Stay away from her!" I looked up at Link, he looked like a hero. His arms raised the sword in an undaunted horizon towards the man. The sun leaked through onto him, blinding me. It almost looked like some painting you might see in a gallery.

"Admirable, Hero... " He spat out hero as if it was the worst kind of insult he could imagine. "What...Courage you have." His eyes found mine. "Unfortunately for you, not even a hero of legend can stop me when there is something I want."

Suddenly, three black monsters like the ones from before, fell out the sky and landed hard on the ground. They surrounded us. "Shit, Shit, Shit." I said in my head. One lunged at me trying to grab by the leg. I swept up Darendal from where it was on the ground and chopped haphazardly at it's arm. The monster's blood shot out, covering my face. I swung again. This time it's head came off.

As soon as two were dead I heard a scream. It was high and screechy, like wails of those who had been damned to hell.

The two monsters that I had just killed rose from the dead.

"We have to kill them at the same time!" Link informed me in a half scream, almost reading my mind. I nodded and waited until Midna was in front of a monster, as well as Link. It was like all the three of us where connected and time stopped. One one second we all swung our swords.

ZING.

The head went sailing off cleanly. What followed it, was silence.

Zant growled at us. "What an inconvenience…This. Isn't. Over… I will have you Adelyn. One way or another. Before then end you'll be begging to die. " He disappeared, leaving a trail of smoke, blood, and sweat in his wake.

Silence followed, deathly silence. Everything rushed in at once. I couldn't do it, it was all too much. The worlds started to spin around. A symphony of colors whipped from here to there and all over. I vaguely heard Link yell my name as I fell to the ground. Strong arms, Links arms, caught me before I could hit the earth below.

"Come on, Addie!" He shook me, a hand cupping my face "Don't you dare pass out on me!"

I opened my eyes. The sun was overly bright but I could see his concerned face looking down. "I won't."

He smiled, then paused. Link pulled me into a tight embrace. It was comforting. I realized that I hadn't really been touched by someone in a long time, not for comfort anyways. I missed hugs so much that it almost hurt. It was the little things.

Link spoke into my ear, his breath hot against my ear. He smiled, but it suddenly faded when he saw Shad running towards them "...Midna..." he said to the imp "Hide...It's Shad." She disappeared from sight, leaving nothing behind to tell of her existence.

"Addie! Are you alright?" His running body came to halt seeing me. Ranado was right behind him.

"I've never been better." I laughed. Link hauled me off the ground and I rested my head on his chest. I wanted to close my eyes, but knew that wouldn't do any good. Pure exhaustion raced through by body. Exhaustion of the body and the mind. I wanted my old life back., to see my mother and father, and my friends. I hated more than anything the constant battles and rampage. When was it going to stop? When was I going home.

"Can you walk?" Link asked me.

I nodded to him and we headed back into the main building.

When we entered the main building that had once been a hotel, I was carried to a room up a flight of stairs. It was a different room than the one I had woken up in earlier. Ranado motioned to the feather bed that was shoved in the corner. "Set her down here." Link laid me down on the bed smoothly. I wanted to fall asleep the moment my head touched the cold pillow.

"I'm fine. It's just-"

"I understand, Adelyn." Link said, a knowing smile on his face.

Shad eyed the two of us suspiciously. He finally said the next two words jeeringly, like he was a parent scolding two kids who had misbehaved. "What happened? The two of you disappeared into that Alley and I couldn't see anything. There was so much darkness, I thought the sun had disappeared. "

"Shad come with me." Ranado told the man, obviously realizing something had happened. Shad stayed planted in the room, not budging even when Ranado tried to pull him out. "Shad." Ranado commanded.

"No, " he shook his head. "I'm not going until you tell me what happened. I'm worried about you. You shouldn't have been fighting. For goddesses sake I helped pull and arrow from you only days ago."

"I'm fine Shad. Honestly, I am. Nothing happened."

He shook his head. "No, something isn't right."

Link looked at him, his brows were creased and he seemed to stand almost 2 feet higher than Shad even though they were the same height. "Listen to her Shad. Everything is alright. I promise."

"Your promises mean nothing to me. I don't even know you." He snapped

"Shad please." This had to stop. Something, Some tiny part of brain told me that I shouldn't tell Shad what had happened. It was like some higher power was telling me it was supposed to stay just between Link and I. But I couldn't tell Shad were I was from not even Link. They wouldn't believe it. Not even I believed it.

"Adelyn, stop, " He seemed to glare at me. Never once since I had met him had I ever seen this side to him. But then again, I didn't know home him as well as pretended to think I did. "I know almost nothing about you," he continued, "and nothing you tell me makes sense. So, please tell me what is going on. "

With that both Link and Ranado turned to me. It seemed everyone wanted to know the truth about me. But, I couldn't tell them. I knew that. They would think I was crazy if I did tell them and wasn't ready for that. Anyways, Speaking it out loud would make it even realer and I wasn't ready for that either. I didn't want to accept it.

"I don't want to lie to you but, I can't tell you. If you ask anymore I'll be forced to lie to you and I refuse to do that. So, please don't ask. It's nothing dangerous. I'm not evil or anything like that."

"Adelyn…" Link asked, his eyebrow was raised.

"No. I'm done talking about this. Please, don't make me lie to you." Link smiled at me and put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"Alright," Shad exhaled in a puff. "But, I've lost all of my trust in you. I don't know whats fake anymore and what is real.'

"STOP!" I had lost it. All of the emotions over the past few weeks that I had been surpressing suddenly escaped like a tsunami. I was done with people I barely knew asking me all of these questions. I wanted my friends. I wanted to go home. "Your don't know me. Hell. I don't even know me. Over the past weeks I've been shot at and almost killed. All I want is to go home. So please. Stop acting like I have personally attacked you when I don't even know whats happening to myself. I will explain everything to you when the time is right."

Shad looked dumfounded. I didn't blame him. I did just scream at him in front of many people. He turned around and marched up the stairs. Each of his steps seemed louder then the last. I tried to get up to chase after him but Link caught my hand and grimaced slightly, pulling me back down to where I was sitting on the bed.

It was Ranado who spoke first. "Leave him be. He'll come around."

My eyes looked up to the sky, as if reaching for an answer from some higher and all knowing power. "If you think so."

It was link who spoke next surprisingly. "I understand having secrets Adelyn, more than most. I know you'll tell us when your ready."

A small smile couldn't help but to creep up. It was refreshing not to have him asking question after question. "Thank you. Really, Thank You."

He smiled knowingly at me but his smile soon turned into a frown. "I'll be leaving town in a few days." He paused for a second. "If there is anything else I can do before I leave please let me know."

"Thank You."

"I hope you'll find some peace here Adelyn." Ranado said, before heading towards the door. "It sounds like you deserve it."

I turned to Link not sure exactly what to say. I was so tired. "I don't think I'll ever get peace Link. Not until I learn the truth about some things."

He smiled again at me. "Hopefully these next few days will be uneventful."

My eyes grew wide, "SHHHH." I said to him, holding in a laugh.

He brown furrowed together. "What?"

"Don't jinx it."

Link started to leave the room but then his eyes caught something that had been stashed in the corner. "Isn't that Rusl's sword?"

I nodded to him."Yes it is. It was his sisters. I'm not entirely sure why he gave it to me."

He picked it up and moved it from hand to hand. "Neither am I actually. He never let me touch this thing. It's beautiful craftsmanship."

I paused, not exactly sure if I sure if I should pry into Rusl's life. He was always so kind to me when we met. But, sometimes my curiosity had no control whatsoever. "Whatever happened to her?"

Link sighed. "Rusl doesn't talk about her much but from what I've learned she disappeared sometime after The War of the Greks." He paused and paced throughout the room, the sword still in his hand. "She fought in the war with Rusl and saw a hell of a lot. Rusl used to live in Castle Town, I think. He went to the Royal Academy there to be trained as a soldier as well as his sister."

I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the answer to the next question. But, I knew that if I never asked, the rest of my life there would be this tiny part in the back of my brain that would always wonder. "Was his sisters name Raen by chance?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think it was," I could feel myself go visibly paler. It felt like Zant was back in the room sucking all the warmth out of the air. "… Adelyn? What's wrong?" I heard link ask but for a moment it felt like no body else was in the room. No one else would understand what I was going through.

"Nothing, excuse me." I started to walk away. This wasn't right. Nothing was right anymore. I never used to have dreams about things I shouldn't know about. Maybe Rusl had mentioned her before I left. There had to be plausible reason to why these dreams were so real. But now, I knew that magic existed and not just magic but monsters too. All of these things were real. It was a double edged sword. One part of it was exciting and bewildering but the other part threatened to cut me if I got to close.

By now my body was so exhausted by everything. The days were I could sleep for hours on a weekend and not worry about the latest monster attack were far behind. What I wouldn't give to have Scott screaming about video games in my ears. If only this really was just a video game then I wouldn't be so terribly afraid of what my future might be.

If this journey so far had taught me anything, it taught me that life isn't a game. All of the things I do have real consequences. They effect real people. I may have been in denial before. But everything was clear now. My life was changed and I would never be the same person again. But, I'm not sure I wanted to go back.


End file.
